Taxi Driver Online

Man gave false information to Council on taxi driver licence application

A Blackburn man has been convicted of giving false information to Chorley Council on an application for a taxi driver’s licence.

The 44-year-old was fined £120 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32 plus the Council’s costs of £250.

In his application for a Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Driver Licence on 2 October 2019, Zahid Hussain, of Billinge Street, Blackburn declared he had never had a licence suspended, revoked or refused by Chorley Council or any other authority.

However, Council Licensing Officers later discovered he had a licence revoked by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (BwDBC) on 24 July 2018 following allegations against him. No charges were brought against Mr Hussain therefore he requested that his licence with BwDC be reinstated. On 10 September 2019, BwDC refused to grant Mr Hussain a licence.

Following a hearing of Chorley Council’s General Licensing Sub-Committee on 6 November 2019, the Council refused Mr Hussain’s application for a licence.

Mr Hussain was interviewed under caution by Council Licensing Officers and admitted making a false statement but denied this had been intentional, stating he had misunderstood the questions on the application.

He was charged via the Single Justice Procedure and pleaded guilty to an offence of knowingly or recklessly making a false statement when giving information considered reasonably necessary when making an application for a private hire and hackney carriage driver’s licence, contrary to Section 57(3) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

Councillor Matthew Lynch, Chair of Chorley Council’s Licensing and Public Safety Committee, said: “Chorley Council takes this type of offence very seriously and will continue to rigorously appraise licence applications in the interests of safeguarding our residents.”

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