Taxi Driver Online

Marshalswick resident loses appeal in taxi licence application



THE district council has successfully won an appeal against a St Albans man with previous convictions applying to be a private hire taxi driver.

Shehzad Ali Hussain, of The Ridgeway in Marshalswick, applied to the council for a licence in October 2008, his offending record was considered alongside its policy which states taxi drivers are in a position of trust and they must be honest and trustworthy.

In 2002 Mr Hussain incurred convictions for four serious offences of theft from customers while he was working at a supermarket and in 2006 fixed penalties for theft and public order matters. The offences were not disclosed by Mr Hussain on his application.

The council refused Mr Hussain's application because he was considered not to be a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

Mr Hussain appealed against the council's decision to St Albans Magistrates' Court which turned down the appeal on September 7, 2009.

In a second bid he appealed to the crown court which was dismissed on March 2, 2010. It was said Mr Hussain was not a fit and proper person. The court also stated Mr Hussain's failure to complete the application form correctly was a key factor in its decision to refuse the appeal.

Councillor Anthony Rowlands, portfolio holder for community engagement and support at the district council, said: “The public must feel safe when they are travelling in a private hire vehicle.

“The council's policy is therefore very clear – because taxi drivers are being placed in a position of trust they must be honest and trustworthy.”

The crown court awarded the district council costs of £1,725.


source: http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/

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

What is it about the PH/Hack trade that attracts these type of people?
Do they somehow think that you only have to be of the lowest common denominator as a prerequisite to get a license?
What a knob!!

The scary thing is some councils would have gave him a badge(Dundee)

It's probably the easiest trade to get into without any real effort or any real qualifications. Unskilled work attracts unskilled people who are looking for what they peceive as easy money. Non of this surprises me in the slightest and worse still this is what the public think of taxi/ph drivers

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

Do you think it's easy money Toots? Is that why you are in the PH trade?
Is it only unskilled? Does not jumping through all the hoops to become a Hackney driver make it at least semiskilled?
Or are we just a rather large bunch of wucking fankers......?

Where I am I had to jump through the same hoops to be PH as the taxi drivers had to do to be taxi drivers. I'm not unqualified either, I have qualifications, they're just not in this trade (well I have the Btec etc which I don't consider proper qualifications ). Driving self employed for a living is not what I'd class as easy but it certainly isn't the most difficult of challenges I've had. I suppose given the option of obtaining qualifications before you obtain a job or becoming a taxi/ph driver, to some people the later would be the easy option

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

I dont understand why your so disrespectful towards PH......I think you'll find Toots may have a Hackney Badge......but instead of buying a WAV prefers to drive a saloon?

CC

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

Because he has had years of listening to fellow t***s on the ranks bemoaning all their woes on the PH trade, when really all they need do is look in the mirror to see their problems.

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IDFIMH

Hmmmm, you mean the one who make the passenger uncomfortable if they go rtfc, the ones who dont clean their cabs unless told, the ones that dress like bags of sh*te, the ones who refuse fares.

The ones who have driven customers away into the arms of the same PH they now moan about?

Them ones?

CC

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

Quite correct, it isn't the most difficult job I've had either, and yes I have trade qualifications outside of the this trade to..... But I am asking the question.... Are we as taxi/ph drivers to be denigrated as something or seen as as less than other occupations, because there is no real skill factor involved other than the public in general see us as?

I don't believe anybody who is working for their living should be denigrated as anything less than anything else, but, we do not have a good relationship with the public we serve and I think we can safely say that is our own fault or more to the point the fault of the minority that spoil it for us.

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

Toots is fine, aplologies if I made myself misunderstood.....What I was asking why people see it as a trade that should be as denigrated as it is......I personally don't agree with PH..... Just as PH don't necessarily agree with the Hackney trade, but that's my opinion.... which I believe I am entitled to.....?

Yes towag, you are

If you look across the country I think you will find certain areas have just as many hoops for PH drivers to jump through as the HC folks.

CC

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

I agree Toots, but that does not change the perception of the way jo publique see's us in general.... social attitudes across the spectrum must change..... Will the equalities act change that I wonder?

Your fully entitled to voice your opinion on TDO, but that doesn't make your opinion right.

In vast areas of the country PH work hand in hand with HC, they share the same entry criteria, they often charge the same fares and work on the same circuits.

The PH trade has gone from a rag tag bunch prior to 1976 to a trade that has overtaken the taxi trade in terms of numbers and volumes of punters.

They didn't do this by luck, they did it by adapting to the needs of customers, not, as is the case in much of the taxi trade, treating customers as a hindrance that should be grateful to be taken home.

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IDFIMH