Taxi Driver Online

‘I was entrapped’ says Wokingham cabby




A crack team of council officers “entrapped” a Wokingham Borough Council-registered taxi driver into illegally offering them a lift, a court heard.

Mohammed Rajabalipor, who drives a Hackney carriage, made the claim at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 11.

Rajabalipor admitted one count of plying for trade in Reading borough on Saturday, April 19, this year.

But he said he only did it because the Reading Borough Council officer who approached him said he needed to go Royal Berkshire Hospital to visit his wife.

Willan Cyrus, prosecuting for Reading Borough Council, said: “A driver of a Hackney carriage came to Reading and plied for trade.”

Mr Cyrus explained one of the council officers, “to satisfy his curiosity”, walked around the cab, when he noticed its registration.

He continued: “Mr Rajabalipor lowered the passenger window and the council officer asked ‘how much will it cost to take me to the RBH?’

“Mr Rajabalipor replied £5 and the officer said ‘can you take me now?’ He got into the rear of the vehicle.”

The council officer’s colleague then got in the front of Rajabalipor’s car and explained what was going on.

The 60-year-old was given a caution and the council officers said they would file a prosecution.

Rajabalipor, defending himself, said Mr Cyrus’ account was “95 per cent” correct although he could not explain the five per cent which was not. He said: “They were a team working to entrap me.”

Chair of the magistrates Michael Wall fined Rajabalipor, from Ascot, £200 and ordered him to pay £250 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Typical taxi driver illegally plying.

Nothing changes.

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IDFIMH

WOW he was a taxi driver and not a PH?

I think he might have been formerly PH.....

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Entrapment sounds about right...If these Council guys had not duped the TAXI driver there would have been no offence commited...Im not a lover of Illegally plying for trade but im still less of a Lover of sneaky underhanded Council officials who Deliberately get someone to commit the Crime and then Nick him...

Test purchase.............and he failed the test.

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Grandad,

The above case doesnt seem to sound like entrapment to me.

At any point the driver could have refused and he seems to have been given the opportunity to refuse on two occasions.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Dunno..if the Council Guy said he needed the Taxi to go Visit his wife in hospital...maybe he was just a nice Cabbie..

Yeah....again...I think it was the second time he'd been caught.

“Mr Rajabalipor lowered the passenger window and the council officer asked ‘how much will it cost to take me to the RBH?’

He could have said, I'm not for hire.

“Mr Rajabalipor replied £5 and the officer said ‘can you take me now?’ He got into the rear of the vehicle.”

And he could have said, I'm not a taxi from this area.

As I said, two opportunities.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Fair point...and I guess if he came up with a price of £5 for the fare it was obviously on his mind to punt from there even before he was asked....Id find it less than easy to come up with an instant price in a strange parish..unless id consciously been working a few random prices out before hand..

I didnt think of that! I'd have a hell of a job finding a place or a street in an area where I didnt work....so giving a price would be a complete guess.

Good Point.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Wokingham is very close to Reading chances are he works Reading quite often,I find it a bit strange lives in Ascot licensed in Wokingham and wants to work Reading

Probably licensed where it's cheapest or easiest and wants to work wherever he likes....

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

If it had been a regular punter they wouldn't be crying 'entrapment' it's only cos it's council officials and IMO it serves him right. Why did he lower his window in the first place. It seems to me he had every intention of taking a fare he isn't licenced to do so.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Not according to the law. Simple remedy, don't accept illegal hires.

Regards

JD

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Just wish they would do the same here in Aberdeen on a saturday night! The ammount of "out of area" cars that work the street is a nightmare!!!
We report them and nothing ever gets done! They are just scum in my eyes!
If i drop off out of area my for hire light gets switched off and off i go!