Drink drive taxi driver banned from the roadGreater Manchester Police is reinforcing its ‘none for the road’ message as a taxi driver faces losing his livelihood.
Raziq Hussain (4/10/1982) of Eastbourne Street, Oldham, a licensed taxi driver, admitted driving with excess alcohol.
At Manchester City Magistrates Court on Monday 12 January 2015, he was banned from driving for 16 months.
Hussain was driving a Hackney carriage on Whitley Road, Collyhurst, in the early hours of 19 December 2014, when he was seen cutting a corner and driving on the wrong side of the road.
He was then seen weaving along Oldham Road before being stopped.
Hussain blew 71 (mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath) on the roadside before registering 58 on a later test. The legal limit is 35.
On arrest he told officers he had been working since 6pm and hadn’t had any alcohol since he started, adding he had been taking fares.
Sergeant Matt Bailey-Smith, said: “We roundly condemn anyone who risks their own life and the lives of others by getting behind the wheel whilst drunk, but the significant aggravating factor in this case is Hussain’s profession.
“Raziq Hussain was working as a taxi driver when he was stopped and admitted to taking fares that evening.
“His actions were reckless and risked the safety and welfare of every fare he took that evening as well as innocent motorists and pedestrians.
“In November we joined forces with other emergency services and Drivesafe and launched our ‘None for the Road’ campaign.
“Since then we have been taking every opportunity to reinforce these messages while operationally we have been targeting drink and drug drivers.
“The dangers of drink driving are well documented which is why we advise avoiding alcohol altogether and having none for the road.”
source:
http://www.gmp.police.uk/live/nhoodv3.n ... CB004A9958