Taxi Driver Online

Hull taxi driver fined NINE times for using bus lanes in two weeks - despite being allowed to use them

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hu ... ne-1880283



Borhin Uddin is a Hackney carriage driver and has a license from Hull City Council

A Hull taxi driver says he has been fined nine times for using bus lanes in two weeks - despite being allowed to use them.

Borhin Uddin has been working as a taxi driver in the city for almost three years, making the switch from a private hire firm to driving a Hackney carriage cab one year ago.

In just two years, he has been fined more than 10 times for using bus penalties. But nine of those fines have taken place within just a two week period, meaning the council has billed him for up to two bus lane fines per day.

“I have tried calling Hull City Council but they say they can’t find any information about my vehicle on their bus lane penalty log,” said the 33-year-old.

“They have just said there is nothing there, but I keep getting this letters telling me I have been fined.

“I have paid the £142 to be licensed with Hull City Council, it says that on my taxi, but they’re just not listening.”

Mr Uddin says he was also fined for entering bus lane just before Christmas, and he appealed the fine with a letter evidencing his valid taxi licence. Now however, he says the council are not accepting his licence as valid.

“Of course my licence is valid, I have it all here,” he said. “I have every right to drive in the bus lane as a Hackney carriage, but instead I’m being fined every time.

“The council just will not listen to me.”

Mr Uddin has been fined twice on July 19 and July 23, as well as fines on July 21, July 24, July 25, July 28 and July 30, totalling nine fines altogether.

With bus lane fines costing £30 each if they are paid within a certain time period, usually two weeks, these fines would cost a total of £270. Fines are doubled to £60 if they are paid any later than the stated time frame.

A spokeswoman for Hull City Council said: "In this case, there has been a problem with the updating of the system which informs enforcement of the vehicles which are able to use the bus lanes.

“The fines in relation to this taxi have consequently been revoked.”

So it was just an admin problem.

Does that really necessitate the press article?

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IDFIMH

Did think the final two paras made it a bit of a non-story.

On the other hand, given how these things can sometimes escalate, to a degree it's worth getting the press involved. Maybe things wouldn't have happened so quickly if the papers hadn't become interested, as indeed there's some evidence of in the piece.

So the paper does the legwork, gets a photo etc, then obviously they're going to run the article, even if the council's statement makes it all seem a bit of an anti-climax.