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Taxi driver banned for three months after illegally picking up passengers at Download Festival
A taxi driver has been banned from driving for three months after illegally picking up passengers outside Download Festival in Castle Donington. Jatinder Singh, 35, pleaded not guilty to plying for hire in his private hire vehicle outside the gates of the music festival in June 2017.
Licensing officers from North-West Leicestershire District Council said Singh had wound down the windows of his vehicle before shouting 'taxi' in their direction. It was not until they were inside the vehicle and the journey had begun that they were told to call the office and make a booking, Loughborough Magistrates' Court was told.
Private hire vehicles can legally only pick up pre-booked passengers, a regulation that is in place to give passengers protection against unregulated drivers. In his defence, Singh, of Ring Fence, Shepshed, claimed he had not shouted 'taxi' and that the enforcement officers had entered the vehicle uninvited whereupon they were told they needed to make a booking.
Magistrates found Singh guilty of the offence and he was disqualified from driving for three months, fined £300, and ordered to pay costs of £983 and a £30 victim surcharge.
Deputy leader of the district council, Councillor Alison Smith, said: "These laws and regulations exist for good reason and protect people from unregulated drivers that could be driving unsafe or dangerous vehicles. "All taxi drivers are fully aware of the law so there really is no excuse for this offence.
"Public safety is our priority, not least at such a well-loved event like Download festival, which brings thousands of people to North-West Leicestershire every year."
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