Taxi Driver Online

Road ban for illegal cabbies

Published on Thursday 13 October 2011 08:38

Two cab drivers have been banned from the road for picking up customers illegally.

Ismail Patel and Husein Omer Yusef, both private hire drivers who must pick up pre-booked passengers, were caught plying for hire in Preston during a council sting earlier this year.

The pair were convicted at Preston Magistrates’ Court for having no valid insurance and for picking up fares without bookings.

Patel, 52, of Hassett Close in Broadgate, Preston, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £150 costs and the £15 victim surcharge. He was given six points on his driving licence.

And Yusef, 40, of St Paul’s Road in Deepdale, Preston, was fined £150 and also told to pay £150 costs and the £15 victim surcharge. He was also given six points.

Now, Preston Council licensing bosses have decided to suspend them from the road for a month. They have 21 days to appeal.

Mike Thorpe, the council’s head of licensing, said: “The council does not tolerate licensed private hire drivers illegally plying for hire.

“This not only takes away trade from the legitimate Hackney carriages, it cheats their employers.

“And, importantly, it puts the public at risk using private hire vehicles which haven’t been pre-booked because those vehicles do not have public hire insurance.”

A third driver, Stephen Francis, 53, of Sandown Court in Avenham, Preston, was due to learn his fate at the town hall today. He was also convicted for plying for hire and having no insurance.

Francis was fined £170 and ordered to pay £150 costs and the £15 victim surcharge. He was given six points on his licence.

The council is also preparing to prosecute five drivers caught plying for hire during another sting in July.

Licensing chiefs went undercover as would-be customers and found almost a third of drivers willing to break the rules.

Mr Thorpe said: “The council, together with the police, will continue to undertake operations to detect where both private hire drivers and those totally unlicensed are taking unbooked hires and putting the public at risk.”

Scource; http://www.lep.co.uk/news/road_ban_for_ ... _1_3865353

_________________
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.

An action as illegal as the one undertaken by the drivers.

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IDFIMH

Why?

_________________
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.

The 'suspension' aspects of the acts are there to deal with public safety.

This suspension has nothing to do with that, and is being used merely as a punishment.

Is anyone really saying that these chaps aren't 'fit and proper' in 31 days time, but are in 32 days time?

_________________
IDFIMH

What else is this if it's not a public safety issue?

Are you saying a licensing authority does not have the right to suspend licensed drivers?

_________________
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.

An IN10 for no insurance is enough for any LO to refuse a licence upon renewal.

_________________
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

The punishment isn't a safety issue, unless they revoke for good.

The question I posed about the 31/32 day issue still needs addressing.

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IDFIMH

Why don't they keep a spare mobile phone in the car and hand it to the prospective fare, waiting to hire their services and record the booking?

Thinking about it, you could set the hire up by text and simply get fare to press the button, job done.