Taxi Driver Online

Court gives taxi driver his licence back

A taxi driver operating in St Albans has won an appeal to get his licence back after magistrates decided he was not a risk to the public. Mohammed Azeem, aged 57, who lives in Luton, lost his licence in August 2006 when he was convicted of perverting the course of justice by giving false details to police after being caught by a speed camera.

Karen Hollands, senior licensing officer for St Albans District Council, said she revoked his licence in line with Home Office guidelines which ruled that a person with a conviction should be free of crime for at least five years before getting it back.

Because he was convicted of a crime of dishonesty, she decided that he was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence because he might overcharge vulnerable passengers.

Nadeem Butt, for Mr Azeem, pointed out that the guidelines allowed for a certain amount of discretion. He said that Mr Azeem had pleaded guilty to his crime and had been punished with 60 hours community service.

He cited Mr Azeem's previously-clean record as a taxi driver since 1985 and that, as the sole breadwinner, he could not feed his four children or pay his mortgage if he was not driving his taxi. Mr Butt also argued that Mr Azeem's crime did not involve taking money off vulnerable customers and he was not a risk to the public.

Kenneth Gilhespie, chairman of St Albans magistrates hearing the case, said that while they did not overturn decisions made by the council lightly, they did not believe Mr Azeem was a major risk to the public.

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IDFIMH

I think the court got it right.

So there.

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IDFIMH

Me to, he would have done this even in an ordinary car, being in a taxi was incidental.

I suppose that because he gave false details for the speeding ticket could also mean that he is bound to be a kiddie fiddler or bank robber. Good old lisencing officers.............not.

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Grandad,

Anything regarding speed cameras and I'm on the side of the aggrieved.

I hate them bloody things .............. especially when they painted the boxes yellow .................. I wonder whatever happened to the taxi yellow box saga that provided weeks of debate ............ remember Sussex

The bloke was wrong and admitted it .................. his fitness and propiety should not have been further questioned.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"