Taxi Driver Online

Stockton taxi driver put lives at risk with level crossing dashes


Shakeel Maqsood pleaded guilty to two offences of driving without due care and attention

A taxi driver who twice dashed through level crossings while the barriers were coming down has been banned from getting behind the wheel.

Shakeel Maqsood, 31, drove carelessly on two separate occasions within just weeks of each other, a court was told.

Maqsood was driving a white minibus taxi when he went through the Longbeck level crossing while the barriers were being lowered, on June 26 this year.

The barriers had been activated as a train was approaching and the flashing lights had been indicating.

The minibus didn’t stop and went through the crossing, but fortunately the operator spotted what was happening.

Rachael Dodsworth, prosecuting, told the court: “He had to stop lowering the barriers or the vehicle would have hit them. The gate actually touched the roof of the taxi.”

Then, on July 12, Maqsood drove a white taxi minibus through another level crossing, this time at Nunthorpe.

As on the previous occasion there had been an indication that a train was approaching and the barriers were being lowered but had to be stopped to avoid hitting the taxi.

Maqsood, of Dixon Street, Stockton, had pleaded guilty to two offences of driving without due care and attention.

But he failed to turn up at court and he was sentenced in his absence.

District Judge Andrew Meachin imposed a 12-month driving ban and fined him a total of £220, with £85 costs and a £22 victim surcharge.

The case against Maqsood had been brought by British Transport Police.

A British Transport Police spokesman said the taxi driver had put his own and other people’s lives at risk on two separate occasions within weeks each another.

As a taxi driver he should have displayed a duty of care but “incredibly he was still willing to put lives on the line by ignoring warning lights and sirens and trying to dash through the crossings,” said the BTP spokesman.

“Most accidents are as a result of impatience, not being prepared to wait and trying to beat the train. For the sake of 60 seconds, a little patience can prevent lives being ruined.”

source: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... es-6334270

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

Knob head, out and out knob head.

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IDFIMH

maybe he should follow the route of the chap from Carlisle, just say he didn't receive the papers from the court

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

Ah, but he had already pleaded guilty.

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Grandad,

Lets just hope the next time he does it he's hit by an Express Train doing the full monty speed wise.

That is not very fair on the train driver though.

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Grandad,

Won't hurt the driver.

Behave yourself!
How can you say it "won't hurt the driver"? Didn't a lot of people die a few years back when a train hit a car? What about the emotional effects on a train driver involved in such a collision?

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Grandad,

He already pleaded guilty.

(Grandad beat me to it)

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IDFIMH

He already pleaded guilty.

(Grandad beat me to it)[/quote]

of course, the chap in Carlisle was completely innocent - although a police officer stopped him for going through a red light - and he disputed a ticket - at which point the Royal Mail also conspired against him so he couldn't get his day in court - the council seemingly forgot he was actually found guilty, which by strange coincidence was the reason he was due to appear in front of the panel that day and therefore the only thing the panel should arguably have considered?

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

The issue is if he pleaded guilty he didn't need to attend, whereas if the court hasn't received a plea, either way, then a full hearing would take place, and a decision given as to the guilt or innocence based on the evidence they have before them.

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IDFIMH

Depends on the shape of the front of the train, if it's pointed then there's less chance of it derailing when it hits something because, it moves the object out of the way, if it's got a flat front there's more chance of it derailing. Pretty simple really.

I take it the emotional trauma that the driver would suffer is of no consequence then?

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Grandad,

Why do you have to go all serious when someone makes a comment? When I post the hangman noose for rapists are you going to say, "you can't use that it'll burn his neck".

Rapists may well deserve the hangmans noose. A train driver does not deserve to be traumatised by the stupid actions of car drivers.

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Grandad,