Taxi 'sting' lacks biteA taxi driver was cleared of plying for hire in Reading after a council “sting” was described as “sloppy”.
Arshad Siddique, 45, of Compton Close, Earley, denied the charge brought by Reading Borough Council at the town’s magistrates court last Thursday.
Jite Binitie, prosecuting, said council officers working with police community support officers were conducting an operation in Friar Street on July 26 last year at around 11pm to catch private hire drivers and taxi drivers acting illegally.
A PCSO asked Siddique if he could take him to Twyford and Siddique then asked if he had booked.
PCSO Tobias Vere told the court he said “No” and asked how much it was to Twyford.
He said Siddique replied “I don’t know, it’s on a meter” and then said “about £12”.
As the deal was clinched, according to the prosecution, a taxi inspector with the borough council, Mamadou Wone, then approached and cautioned Siddique.
Siddique holds a Wokingham Borough Council Hackney carriage licence which entitles him to ply for hire in Wokingham – that is to pick up passengers on the street.
However, in Reading borough he can only operate as a private hire driver and pick up passengers who have booked in advance.
However Siddique told the court he had just dropped off his passengers and had been contacted by Twyford Cars to tell him that a man called John and another passenger who wanted to go to Twyford would be outside bar Lola Lo.
Siddique said he was unable to take the details and told Twyford Cars to give the customer his mobile phone number.
After dropping off his passengers in Friar Street he was about to pull out of the bus lane when someone knocked on his window.
He said he thought the man said his name was John although he had his radio on loudly.
He assumed it was the passenger booked by Twyford Cars and it wasn’t until he said he had three other people with him that he questioned it.
He said he didn’t have a chance to check back with Twyford Cars before the taxi inspector came up.
Peter Gotch, defending, described the borough council case as “sloppy”. He raised questions about the way Siddique had been interviewed in the street by Mr Wone and questioned how much training the PCSO had been given.
He also raised concerns about the evidence because PCSO Vere said Siddique, who has a shaven head, had dark hair.
He also criticised the witnesses for bringing statements to court written sometime after the event rather than their pocket books.
He told the court: “We are not saying this evidence should be excluded. We are showing how sloppy this job is.”
The magistrates agreed that the accounts differed and cleared Siddique of the charge.
source:
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2134 ... lacks_bite
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