Taxi Driver Online

Huddersfield taxi driver caught in police sting operation plying for trade

PLAIN-clothes police caught a taxi driver illegally trading when they mounted a “sting” in Huddersfield.

He was a private hire driver and was caught by the undercover cops for carrying out an un-booked journey.

Intizar Hussain, 35, of Yews Hill Road Huddersfield, appeared before Dewsbury Magistrates yesterday charged with plying a taxi for hire.

Private hire drivers are not insured to pick up passengers, unless they have pre-booked the taxi.

Prosecutor Sarah Swarbrick told how the private hire taxi driver was dropping off passengers in Cross Church Street, Huddersfield just after midnight on Wednesday May 25.

He was then approached by two undercover officers who said their car had broken down at Odeon Cinema car park off Leeds Road and they needed to get back urgently.

He agreed to take them on the un-booked journey, breaching his licence conditions.

When he arrived at the Odeon Cinema uniformed officers questioned the driver and identified him as Intizar Hussain, a licensed taxi driver.

Defence solicitor Bob Carr told the court: “As far as the defendant was concerned he was going about his lawful business when he was approached.

“He admits it was hardly worth his while and believes the officers enticed him to commit an offence.

“He has had a clean licence for 15 years and been a taxi driver for seven.
“The offence happened in May and as a consequence he has been subjected to tremendous strain not knowing whether his licence would be taken from him.

“The consequences would be horrendous as he has a young family to support.”

The court heard a charge of not being insured was withdrawn because it had breached the prosecution time threshold.

Magistrate David Lee told the defendant said he accepted that the offence was an “isolated incident”.

He ordered Hussain to pay £250 fine and a £15 victim surcharge.

The enforcement exercise was part of a joint operation carried out between police and Kirklees Council.

l Private hire drivers who pick up fares which are not pre-booked are not only operating illegally but their insurance does not cover them for the journey.


Read More http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-we ... z1i6lmRSC3

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

Is that legal? That sounds like the police lied.

CC

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

Did he try and charge for the journey, if not how is it different from just giving someone a lift ? Are you therefore un-insured if in a private vehicle (non taxi/PH) you pick up hitchhikers ? Is there something that says that licenced vehicles can only carry fare paying passengers at all times whether working or not, can they not carry passengers who aren't fare payers ?

On my day off can I not ferry around non-booked, non-paying friends/family/hitchhikers ?

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

Don't the police in your area tell lies when it suits them

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Which is, IMO, why the fine was so low.

Costs weren't mentioned, but it would have cost the council several 1000.

So if costs weren't awarded then that gives further credence to the bench not being happy.

And if we needed any evidence that officialdom haven't got a f***ing clue what they are doing, then the fact that they let the non insurnace issue time out merely confirms it.

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IDFIMH

Agent provocateur, he was set up.

I was always under the impression the rozzers had to give the driver every opportunity to refuse the hire......what they seem to have done here is give him a sob story so he perhaps took pity on them.

CC

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

He broke the law so he's got to pay the price IMO.

It's entrapment. I'm not sure, but I don't think the police or government officials are supposed to encourage people to break the law in order to make an arrest.

When they ask him if he's booked he should have said, "I'm sorry I'm not allowed to pick up off the streets." There's no entrapment IMO.

If I approach you and ask if you're booked, I'm the one initiating the proposition of services required. There's nothing illegal in replying truthfully, thereby saying, you're not booked.

I think its entrapment. It's one thing for a junky to attempt to by drugs from someone, and another for an officer to approach the junky, with the view to selling him drugs, and then to arrest him for making the purchase.

So when the Police did an operation round here to lure suspected burglars into a warehouse with offers of free gear, was that classed as entrapment? The Police got a result.

I wouldn't expect so, because it would be down to the burglar to initiate the break in, base on intelligence, gathered. The police aren't approaching anyone, in particular, asking them to break into the warehouse on their behalf, and then making an arrest as a consequence.

Think about it this way, had the Ph driver solicited the officers by offering services, it would have been a different matter, but they approached him. They planted the idea as a form of inducement, once they'd checked to see if he wasn't booked.

I don't know what the legal situation is but to me at least, it's a form of entrapment.




btw, I know what you mean but what you have written doesn't make sense. You can't steal free gear.

The Police sent a plain letter out to all suspected burglars in offering them free gear if they turn up to this address. They turned up and were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

If the Police have stopped a crime or an offence being committed there's no entrapment.