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Uninsured driver took kids to school
Thursday 28 April 2011 13:05
A city private hire driver has been fined £200 for driving pupils to school without insurance.
Sohail Altaf (37), of Meynell Walk, Netherton, Peterborough, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to driving without insurance.
He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge as well as being disqualified from driving for 28 days.
The court heard that on at least three separate occasions in November 2010 Altaf used an unlicensed vehicle to transport pupils to and from a school in Wisbech.
As he received payment for the journeys the vehicle should have been licensed as well as tested as a private hire vehicle and insured accordingly.
The incidents came to light when the mother of one of the pupils contacted Peterborough City Council to check whether Altaf was allowed to use his own car as a private hire vehicle under the terms of the contract.
An investigation carried out by the city council’s taxi enforcement team discovered Altaf had used an unlicensed BMW on at least three occasions to transport pupils to and from school.
In addition to the fine and costs, Altaf also received eight penalty points on his driving licence.
As Altaf already had six existing penalty points, the court was required to consider disqualifying Altaf from driving.
In his defence, Altaf gave an account to the court about the hardships and effect to his livelihood he would encounter if he lost his licence.
Magistrates took this into account while they carried out their sentencing.
However due to the seriousness of the situation and his behaviour, the magistrates said that they believed that a 28-day disqualification from driving was still warranted.
In order to carry out private hire work a driver is required to hold a private hire driver’s licence. Any vehicle used in private hire work should also be tested and licensed.
All fares carried by a private hire vehicle has to be booked in advance through a licensed private hire operator.
As Altaf had used an unlicensed vehicle to transport the children to and from school he invalidated his insurance.
Ian Robinson, regulatory officer in the council’s taxi enforcement team, welcomed the magistrates’ sentence.
He said: “Magistrates highlighted that as a professional driver Altaf had a duty of care to his passengers and on this occasion he failed in that duty, allowing a child to be carried without valid insurance.
“Licensing the private hire trade protects the travelling public, ensuring that drivers and operators are subjected to the appropriate security checks and the vehicles tested and checked to insure they are appropriately insured.
“A decision will be made in due course in relation to Mr Altaf’s hackney carriage driver’s licence.”
The hearing comes after illegal touting of private hire vehicles was made a city centre policing priority in March amid claims there are more than 1,000 “uninsured” taxi fares being taken every weekend in the city centre.
Source; http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... _1_2634360
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