Taxi Driver Online

Investigation launched after Leeds taxi firm employee accused of attempting to bribe council official

Concerns have been raised about a leaked video which appears to show the employee saying 'whoever I've got inside needs paying'

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... i-14557019

(Visit site to hear recording of the incident)

An investigation has been launched after a video emerged which allegedly shows a man agreeing to pay off a Leeds City Council worker to get a taxi driver's licence back.

In the video the man - who works for a taxi firm in Leeds - agrees to help a suspended driver get his private hire licence back during a phone call.

But he goes on to say the driver will need to bring money because 'whoever I've got inside needs paying'.

The man makes the shocking statement after the taxi driver on the other end of the phone asks him to help a fellow driver, who has allegedly been suspended because he 'slapped his wife' and 'she complained'.

The man can then be heard saying 'don't spread it around though will you?'

After watching the video on Youtube, Leeds Private Hire Drivers Organisation (LPHDO) contacted Leeds City Council and asked for an independent investigation, which it has now launched.

Members allege that the man was intending to use a £500 payment to bribe a member of the council, which is the only body that has the power to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a taxi driver's licence if they have been convicted of a violent, dishonest or indecent offence.

Zahid Mahmood is vice-chair of the LPHDO and a working taxi driver.

He said: "We put it to the council, said 'what the hell is going on here?' and asked for an independent investigation.

"For years we've been saying something is wrong.

"What we did is emailed all the councillors to ask for an independent investigation.

"They replied and said they have taken on an investigation and they can't give out any information until the investigation is done with."

"We're just waiting to see what the council comes up with now.

"It makes my very, very, very angry, because the thing is, for decades Leeds City Council has been coming down very hard on taxi drivers over small issues."

Leeds City Council says it has seen the video and launched an investigation.

A council spokeswoman said: "We are aware of this information and we have arranged for an immediate independent investigation to be carried out.

"It would therefore be inappropriate for us to comment further until the investigation has been concluded."

Council policy states that it can suspend a taxi driver's licence with immediate effect if it is 'in the interests of public safety', but the driver has the right to appeal.

no sound on the video only words across screen this looks a bit suspect (the video that is)

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

The recording can be heard on the website if anyone didn't hear it first time round.

Findings of investigation into video showing alleged bribe of Leeds City Council official revealed

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... d-15440270

A man was accused of trying to use a £500 payment to bribe a member of the council's Taxi Private Hire Licensing team

No one will be punished after a 'thorough and robust investigation' into an video, which appears to show a man agreeing to bribe a Leeds City Council worker, was completed.

The video appears to show the man, who claims to work for a Leeds taxi firm, agree to help a suspended driver get his private hire licence back during a phone call.

But he goes on to say the driver will need to bring money because 'whoever I've got inside needs paying'.

Leeds Private Hire Drivers Organisation (LPHDO) told LeedsLive the man was intending to use a £500 payment to bribe a member of the council's Taxi Private Hire Licensing team, which is the only body that has the power to suspend or revoke a taxi driver's licence.

The council launched an investigation after the video was posted on Youtube in April and West Yorkshire Police said it also 'looked into' allegations of attempted bribery.

But after seven months, neither of them found any evidence of any wrongdoing.

In a statement, the council said it takes 'any allegations of this nature extremely seriously' and that's why it immediately launched an investigation into the claims made in the video.

It added: "Following a thorough and robust investigation by the council’s audit team, no evidence to substantiate or support these allegations was found.

"A separate independent investigation undertaken by West Yorkshire Police also reached the same conclusion.

“Our taxi licensing staff work diligently to provide a high class service to both members of the public and the industry as a whole, and it is disappointing that their reputation has been called into question by what has proved to be a baseless accusation.”

While a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force looked into the allegations but 'there was no evidence found'.