Death threats and drugs probe at Sevenoaks taxi rankSEVENOAKS taxi chiefs have launched an investigation into allegations that a cabbie took drugs, made death threats and was abusive to other drivers.
Ray Gomes of 7oaks Cars has also been accused of overcharging one customer and refusing to take another who was in a wheelchair.
In evidence to be heard by Sevenoaks District Council’s licensing subcommittee next month, one passenger even claims that when she challenged him over a high fare he told her: “Get out my car and if you want to complain, complain.”
However Mr Gomes has hit back saying he and cabbies from his firm are the victims of an orchestrated campaign of false allegations.
He says other drivers have subjected him to abusive language and he claims they jump queues at taxi ranks deliberately to provoke a confrontation.
He has also cited a list of crime reference numbers where he has made complaints to police.
“I have had death threats, my vehicles being a target for vandalism/damage on a regular basis, nuisance and malicious calls,” he said in papers submitted to the council.
In total 12 complaints were levelled at Mr Gomes between March and November last year.
One woman cabbie, who asked council officials not to identify her, said she had quit the taxi rank at Sevenoaks station after Mr Gomes “frequently” swore at her using “the c word” and called her a “stupid b****”.
Another driver who once worked with Mr Gomes, Bartosz Wlodarczyk, said his former colleague was “generally trying to be as nasty as possible by pretending he’s shooting me then blowing kisses”.
He added that during the period they worked together “he was regularly rude, aggressive and cheated me on my wages.
“I regularly saw him taking drugs.”
Cabbie Duncan Cheeseman wrote to the council saying “Please be aware that Ray Gomez (sic) has threatened to kill me and that I should ‘watch my back’ as a result of a minor dispute on the rank.”
Another, M Hassan, told the council that Mr Gomes had “annoyed almost all the other drivers” by “not taking customers who only want to travel a short distance or not moving his car along the line when the rank is busy”.
“You should also know he has had a number of physical fights with several drivers over a long period of time,” he said, adding: “His actions give all the other drivers an undeserved tainted reputation.”
Taxi driver Steve Batchelor accused Mr Gomes of refusing a wheelchair customer “because he said his boot was too small”.
Cabbie Kevin Lear said he’d been asked if he “wanted to go somewhere else to sort it out” after arguing with Mr Gomes at a taxi rank.
And taxi veteran and former cab rep Rodger Landless said: “I have never had to deal with an individual like Ray Gomez (sic).
“It appears to me that it is his daily remit to annoy other drivers and disrespect the rules that govern our trade.”
In a report to the licensing subcommittee, the council’s chief officer for operational services, Richard Wilson said: “Mr Gomes alleges that he has received death threats, his vehicles have been targeted for vandalism and damaged on a regular basis.
“He says he has received nuisance and malicious calls, been harassed and verbally abused.
“Mr Gomes has been warned on several occasions by officers of the licensing authority regarding his behaviour towards other taxi drivers.”
At next month’s hearing, licensing chiefs will have to decide whether Mr Gomes – who has been a Sevenoaks cabbie since May 2009 – is a “fit and proper person” to hold a Hackney carriage driver’s licence.
Mr Wilson said committee members will have to ask themselves: “Would you allow your son, daughter, mother, spouse or other person you care about (to) get into this vehicle with this person alone?”
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