Taxi Driver Online

Note: Don't think the reference to Uber is anything to do with Uber we know and love - see comment below article.

Wigan taxi boss faces new allegations

https://www.wigantoday.net/news/transpo ... -1-9295092

A controversial taxi boss is back in the spotlight after Wigan Council confirmed it was looking into allegations made against him.

Hossein Ghorbani, who formerly ran Crusader Cabs and is now a director of Uber Taxis North West, is facing an investigation by the town hall.

The Wigan Observer understands that the allegations involve Mr Ghorbani’s acting threateningly and aggressively towards black cab drivers in the town centre.

However, Mr Ghorbani, of Hamilton Road in Ashton, has emphatically denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he is the victim of a witch hunt.

Despite that the local authority has confirmed that it has received complaints about Mr Ghorbani and is looking into them.

Julie Middlehurst, group manager for regulatory services at Wigan Council, said: “As with all complaints we receive, they are currently being investigated.”

The Wigan Observer has been led to believe the incidents involve tempers flaring due to disagreements over vehicles on the taxi rank on Wallgate.

Another point of disagreement appears to be customers from a fast food takeaway close to the train station and taxi businesses getting private hire vehicles.

However, Mr Ghorbani has responded strongly to defend himself against the accusations. He said: “They are always coming with these things. They do anything to us, every time something happens these people are making a complaint.

“We have opened a food place next to the station and that’s what this is all about. “They are just trying to attack me. That’s what all this is. I am not doing anything wrong.”

Mr Ghorbani was previously the subject of lengthy court proceedings after his old firm Crusader Cabs was served with enforcement and stop notices over running a taxi business from a Wallgate shop without permission.

He then left the company in 2017 after all his appeal attempts failed, with Monica Sak taking over Crusader Taxis and attempting to heal the firm’s relationship with the local authority.

The business successfully applied for planning permission to open a new booking office in a former takeaway on King Street late in 2017.

At first I assumed Mr Ghorbani had left to join, er, Uber, but it seems that's not actually the case, or at least not Uber as we generally know it.

Thought it seemed strange on first read because:

- I thought a company called Uber Britannia dealt with all Uber's UK business outside London
- Never heard of anyone leaving the traditional trade to join Uber at a senior level
- Uber don't normally use the word 'taxi' in that way

Anyway, according to this Monica Sak and Mr Ghorbani are both directors of Uber Taxis Northwest Limited:

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/comp ... 9/officers

Which seems odd if Mr G left Crusader to join Uber, and Monica Sak came in to run Crusader.

But according to this Yell page, Uber Northwest's phone number is 01942 321500

https://www.yell.com/s/taxis+and+privat ... wigan.html

But according to this Thomson Local page Crusader uses the same number:

https://www.thomsonlocal.com/Crusader-C ... 942321500/

So whatever musical directorships are going on in the Wigan trade, seems it has nothing to do with Uber as we know it.

However, he got to open a new office, how we don't know he should not be allowed they have only just got him out from an office on Wallgate. he is not a very nice Man at all and a very sort temper we believe he as still a hand in Crusader as his wife was running it, he as opened on King Street the office is where one of the nighttime ranks are, picks up from the rank he as a condition were he most have door staff which take passengers from the office across the road down a back street to pick the passengers up has Friday and Saturday its one way not only that its closed. should have been made a radio office only.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

Peter Baily at Bluestar has had a few run ins with this man, it seems like he's a rule breaker and doesn't play ball with the council.

Is this the bloke who was featured a few times a year ago for running an office without planning permission ?

SOunds like he's a perfect fit for uber

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

That's the guy, no planning permission, likes to open a Private Hire Office on a rank.

Frankly amazed the Uber we know and love ( ) have allowed a firm to copy their name.

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IDFIMH

Indeed, it seems like a pretty clear cut case of 'passing off'.

It looks like just some sort of front for Crusader cabs to do whatever it is they're trying to do, so in terms of 'passing off'/exploiting the Uber brand it's probably of little relevance.

Anyone know if Uber Taxis North West actually trades/advertises under that name, or what?

well they are registered under that name at companies house with 4 directors from Bolton,Aspull and Ashton in makerfield

but thinking about it the word Uber is a common word in the German language I doubt Uber brittania could do anything about it it's the same as calling your company Ace or A2B

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

I think the name McDonald is quite popular, especially up in the cold north, but if a fella called McDonald open a burger bar under his name I suspect he will be in trouble.

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IDFIMH

As Sussex says, the familiarity of the word isn't the issue - the point is about using someone else's brand to sell your own/product service. So although Ace Taxis is quite common, you couldn't just start calling yourself Ace Taxis in a town where Act Taxis was already an established trader.

And cab firms are usually local in scope, so if you start Ace Taxis in a town where that name isn't already being used then another Ace Taxis three hundred miles away wouldn't have a case.

On the other hand, Uber is a global brand and very distinctive, so suspect Uber could easily stop the name being used anywhere in the UK.

For example, a Perth barber's shop couldn't use name of TV programme:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/lo ... emark-row/

And a golf club maker in St Andrews couldn't register the words 'St Andrews' in a trademark:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local ... owns-name/

I think it also depends if the name is registered or not. As the UBER as we know it is registered as UBER Britannia limited then in theory anyone can register a company in their area and call it say UBER Stamford limited or UBER Brighton limited. Many years ago we used to have a few butchers around here and they were all called Baileys. They were not connected to each other but they were all run by different people with the surname Bailey. It was a very common name round here.

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Grandad,

It's the word Uber that's important - don't think using slight variations in the wording would allow anyone to get away with exploiting the brand.

You don't need to have a registered trademark to take action against anyone using your name or brand to attract customers, but again that's another tool that can be used to safeguard against this kind of thing.

A limited company name is a different issue still, although it obviously can be related. But the company name can be totally unrelated to the trading name, and as regards this kind of thing it's the trading name that's important.

Think the Belfast case posted by Sussex yesterday vindicates what I said here

So it's not necessarily about precise trademarks or registered company names. It's also about stuff likely to mislead the public into thinking a business is something it isn't. Impersonation, perhaps, or 'passing off', as it's known legally.

In Belfast the culprit effectively amalgamated the names of two established major players - Value Cabs and fonaCAB - and came up with FonaValue. Thus passing off as not just as one long running business, but a double whammy

Ditto the Ubaro app in Barrow-in-Furness. Not sure if it's still around, or if Uber were interested enough to challenge it. But pretty sure Uber would have had a solid case if they'd taken them on. Doubt it would have gotten to court, though. Ubaro would have wilted pretty quickly if Uber's fancy pants lawyers had gotten in touch. But by phone, letter or email, presumably and not via the app