Looked like a fairly bog standard headline on news website - "Taxi driver caught driving suspended vehicle in MK" - but several quite interesting aspects to this case
South Northamptonshire driver caught driving suspended vehicle in Milton Keynes
https://www.mkfm.com/news/local-news/ta ... cle-in-mk/
A private hire driver has been prosecuted after being caught using his suspended private hire vehicle in Milton Keynes.
MK Magistrates’ heard the case yesterday (26 July 2018) following taxi enforcement patrol work conducted at CMK Train Station on 29 November 2017.
Junaid Yaqoob of Green Keepers Road, Great Denham, Bedford attended court and pleaded guilty to using an unlicensed vehicle and driving without valid motor insurance on 3 occasions in November 2017. He was fined £211 for using an unlicensed vehicle and £635 for invalid insurance. He was also given 6 DVLA penalty points and has to pay costs of £900 with a victim surcharge of £63.
At the time of the offences his vehicle was operated by Speedline. Mr Yaqoob is currently licensed by South Northamptonshire District Council, which will take appropriate action concerning his licence.
The court heard that on 29 November 2017 an MK Council Taxi Patrol Officer was on duty at the CMK Train Station when he conducted a compliance check on Mr Yaqoob’s vehicle. During the inspection he noted that the brake light was not working and issued a written notice to Mr Yaqoob suspending the vehicle for use as a private hire vehicle. The patrol officer advised Mr Yaqoob that the vehicle could no longer be used to provide private hire services until the defect was repaired and then presented to South Northants Council who would inspect the vehicle and lift the suspension.
Later that day the patrol officer saw Mr Yaqoob’s vehicle again at the CMK Train Station and noted that the defective brake light had not been repaired.
The patrol officer then obtained booking records from operator Speedline who confirmed that Mr Yaqoob’s vehicle had completed three private hire bookings after the patrol officer had suspended his vehicle.
Cllr Catriona Morris, Chair of the Council’s Taxi Licensing Committee, said:
“This case further illustrates the on-going problem of cross-border hiring where vehicles and drivers licensed by other councils work in Central Milton Keynes on a daily basis.
“However, Milton Keynes and South Northants councils worked closely in sharing powers and information in order to effectively prosecuting Mr Yaqoob.
“I would like to specifically commend our Taxi Patrol Officer for his vigilant work at the CMK Train station in identifying this defective vehicle, taking appropriate action, and then having the awareness to realise that this vehicle was continuing to work and therefore placing the safety of MK residents at risk.
“This result will hopefully send a strong message to all drivers who want to ignore Council Officers as they will be caught and prosecuted.”
