Taxi Driver Online

Fake taxi drivers convicted after undercover sting during Cheltenham races

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/n ... er-3591849

Borough council takes them, and other drivers from out of town, to court

Three fake taxi drivers, and two who were real but operated unlawfully, have been convicted after they were caught by an undercover sting during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

All five drivers attended Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court and entered a guilty plea for the offences of plying for hire and driving without valid insurance.

It followed them stopping their vehicles for council enforcement officers during an undercover taxi operation during the busy racing event.

A further five cases are also pending prosecution.

On March 12, an Audi A3 driven by Jamie Herbert was stopped by officers. The 19-year-old from Cheltenham holds only a DVLA driving licence and is not a hackney carriage driver.

He was ordered to pay a fine of £120, a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £300. Six penalty points were also imposed by the magistrates.

On the same evening, a Seat Ibiza was driven by Wiktor Michalak, from Bishop’s Cleeve. The 22-year-old also holds only a DVLA driving licence and is not a hackney carriage driver.

He was fined £392 and told to pay a victim surcharge of £39 and costs of £350. Six penalty points were also added to his licence imposed by the magistrates.

Also during the same evening, Ahmed Farooq, from Gloucester, stopped in his Skoda Octavia, a private hire vehicle licensed by Gloucester City Council.

After establishing the driver was free and available, a price for the journey was agreed and officers got into the car, before requesting that the driver pull over.

As a private hire driver, Farooq can only lawfully carry passengers who have booked their journey in advance through his Gloucester operator.

After his guilty plea, the 39-year-old was ordered to pay a fine of £346, a victim surcharge of £34 and costs of £400. He also received six penalty points.

On the morning of March 13, a black Nissan Juke driven by Jonathan Thomas stopped in response to two council enforcement officers. The vehicle was found to have been hired by a rental firm for the week.

Thomas, 27 and from Gloucester, holds only a DVLA driving licence and is not a hackney carriage driver.

He was fined £415, victim surcharge of £41 and costs of £500. The magistrates also imposed eight penalty points, however due to points already imposed on his DVLA licence, he was subsequently disqualified from driving for six months.

On March 15, council officers approached a Volkswagen Sharan displaying a private hire vehicle licence by South Gloucestershire Council.

After establishing the driver, Mustaf Ali, was free and available, and a price for the journey agreed, officers got into the car before requesting the driver pull over.

As a private hire driver, Ali can only lawfully carry passengers who have booked their journey in advance through his South Gloucestershire operator.

After his guilty plea, the 35-year-old from Bristol was ordered to pay a fine of £230, a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £500. He was also given six penalty points.

Sarah Hughes, licensing enforcement officer said: “These prosecutions give a warning to drivers who wish to capitalise on the additional footfall to Cheltenham during Gold Cup week that we will take action should they operate unlawfully.

“Where drivers prosecuted are taxi or private hire drivers, the local authority in which they are licensed will be informed of any prosecutions and these authorities may then refer the matter to their licensing committee to review the drivers licence. Ultimately a driver found guilty of these offences may end up with a fine, points on their DVLA driving licence and their professional licence being revoked.

“The public should be made aware that if they get into a vehicle not operating lawfully, they will not be covered by insurance in the event of an accident. The council urges the public to ensure that the vehicle that they get into is properly licensed, either by pre-booking a private hire vehicle in advance through an operator or by taking a journey with a Cheltenham licensed hackney carriage vehicle.

“Our enforcement officers will continue to carry out spot checks and monitor activity during major race meets.”

wouldn't be Cheltenham without a few getting caught PFH

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If he is 19 and gets 6 points then that should be the end of his license.

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IDFIMH

until he retakes his test

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He may have a Polish licence, points not valid, though he could be banned from driving in the UK.

hmmmm..........jamie herbert yes a classic polish name

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Drivers prosecuted for illegally plying for hire

https://www.punchline-gloucester.com/ar ... ltenham-bo

Three drivers have been successfully prosecuted for unlawfully plying for hire during Cheltenham Festival 2019.

The drivers stopped their vehicles for Cheltenham Borough Council enforcement officers during an undercover taxi operation over the busy race week.

The first driver, Mr Aamir Mehmood (age 40) of Gloucester, attended Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Monday 13 January 2020, where he entered a guilty plea for the offences of plying for hire and driving without valid insurance on 14 March 2019.

Mr Mehmood, who was driving a Ford Mondeo, holds only a private hire licence issued by Tewkesbury Borough Council and therefore can only lawfully carry passengers who have booked their journey in advance through Mr Mehmood`s Tewkesbury operator.

Following his guilty plea, Mr Mehmood was ordered to pay a fine of £200 for the offence of plying for hire, costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £32. He was also fined £323 for no insurance and six penalty points were imposed.

The second driver, Mr Abidoon Basharat (age 34) of Cheltenham, did not attend court on 13 January, but was found guilty in his absence for the offences of plying for hire, and driving without insurance, on 13 March 2019 in his Ford Focus. Mr Basharat holds only a DVLA driving licence and is not a hackney carriage driver. The court sentenced Mr Basharat to a fine of £300 for plying for hire, costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £66. He was also fined £660 for having no insurance and six penalty points were imposed on his licence.

On Monday 27 January 2020, a third driver, Mr Ali Abdi (age 55) of Bristol was ordered to pay fines totalling £733, for the offences of plying for hire in his Vauxhall Zafira on 13 March 2019 and having no insurance, he incurred eight penalty points. Mr Abdi was also ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £55. Mr Abdi is a licensed private hire driver for South Gloucestershire District Council.

Cllr Andrew McKinlay, member for development and safety, said: "So far the council has prosecuted eight drivers for plying for hire during Cheltenham Festival in March 2019, with additional court cases pending. We are hopeful that these prosecutions give a warning to drivers who wish to capitalise on the additional footfall to Cheltenham during Gold Cup week and we will take action should they operate unlawfully."

Sarah Hughes, licensing enforcement officer, said: "Where drivers prosecuted are taxi or private hire drivers, the local authority in which they are licensed will be informed of any prosecutions and these authorities may then refer the matter to their licensing committee to review the driver's licence. Ultimately a driver found guilty of these offences may end up with a fine, points on their DVLA driving licence and their professional licence being revoked.

"If a member of the public gets into a vehicle not operating lawfully, they will not be covered by insurance in the event of an accident. We'd like to remind everyone to check that the vehicle that they get into is properly licensed, either by pre-booking a private hire vehicle in advance through an operator or by taking a journey with a Cheltenham licensed hackney carriage vehicle."

Slightly more interesting article about the third driver above.

Uber driver fined for illegal Cheltenham race week cab fare

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/n ... am-3786604

Ali Abdi, 54, of Easton Road, Bristol, admitted plying for hire when his vehicle was not properly licensed in Cheltenham

An Uber driver has been fined almost £1,000 for illegally picking up a fare in Cheltenham during last year’s National Hunt Festival.

Ali Abdi, 54, of Easton Road, Bristol, who has a Hackney Carriage licence to be a cabbie in South Gloucestershire, is not entitled to stop for anyone who hails him on the street anywhere else in the UK.

But on March 13, 2019, he did just - not realising that his 'passengers' were under cover Cheltenham Borough Council officials on a sting operation.

At Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Monday, Abdi admitted driving without the Hackney carriage insurance for his Vauxhall Zafira cab and plying for hire when his vehicle was not licensed as a public hackney carriage in Cheltenham.

Prosecutor Rachael Baldwin told the court the officials flagged the taxi down in the town centre during last year’s race week and asked the driver if he was free.

She added: “The officials agreed a fee and a destination postcode on the A40 was entered into the vehicle’s sat nav.

“They had travelled about 100 yards when the officials revealed who they were and asked the driver to stop.

“He told them that he was responding to a call on his Uber phone app to pick up a fare they did not show up and he had lost the internet signal at that moment in time.

“He was told that he had the incorrect insurance for this type of taxi work as he was only insured as a private hire vehicle operator.”

Paul Whitcliffe defending said: “Abdi had not gone out with the intention of picking up an illegal fare in Cheltenham.

“His explanation is that he had an Uber pick up in the High Street, but on the way there he lost the signal to his mobile phone.

“He says when he saw people flagging him down he assumed they were his passengers. However he didn’t ask for identification when they got in.

“He had only travelled a short distance when the council officials revealed themselves and that is how he finds him in the position he is in today.

“It’s not a case of Abdi having no insurance as he has the relevant paper work in place for private hire that does not cover him for taxi pick ups.

“This is an oversight rather than being a deliberate case of pretending to be a taxi driver”

Magistrates fined him £733 for not having a licensed hackney carriage vehicle and the relevant insurance.

He was ordered to pay an additional £190 in court costs and a victim surcharge. Magistrates also endorsed Abdi’s driving licence with eight points for the offences.

So he's plated HC by South Glocs, then it says he's insured as a PHV operator?

In fact the earlier article said he's a PHD:







Don't think I'll renew my HC insurance this year. If anyone asks I'll say it's not a case of having no insurance because I've got insurance for my mobile phone and house contents