Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver who upset passenger handed fine as decision to revoke his license is upheld

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/not ... er-3633224

He also had three speeding tickets and parked in an ambulance bay

A taxi driver was banned from working after a court heard he upset a passenger and parked in an ambulance bay.

Zaheer Iqbal, 44, already had three speeding tickets, failed to show his driver's badge and did not get a vehicle repaired within a deadline set by Nottingham City Council.

City magistrates heard he collected a lone woman from outside a Wollaton restaurant. But he left her feeling so nervous she phoned her husband, who alerted police officers.

The force took no action but council solicitor Richard Bines told the court: "She felt very uneasy regarding the circumstances."

Mr Iqbal told the court he was waiting for a man shortly before 12 midnight on December 7 last year and refused to take the woman home to Beeston Fields Drive.

"She said 'this is my taxi.' I would not let her in. I waited for minutes, she waited for minutes," Mr Iqbal told the court.

After getting into the taxi for the £10.20 journey, she gave him £11 and said "thank you very much," said Mr Iqbal, formerly of Regent Street, Nottingham.

He told the court he took a disabled woman to the QMC and only parked in the ambulance bay because his car broke down. A gearbox failure made it impossible to move.

He produced papers to back up his case but Mr Bines said: "This is a tissue of lies. You have produced these documents late and we have no opportunity to verify them. These are false."

Mr Iqbal answered: "My car broke down, yes."

The court heard he had already served a two-week ban imposed by the council and had also received a final warning.

The licence was revoked by taxi licensing manager John Davis on the basis he was "not a fit and proper person" to hold one. That decision was upheld by magistrates, who ordered Mr Iqbal to pay £2,100 costs.

Presiding JP Geoff Evans told him: "You have got numerous cautions for speeding. That is public safety, isn't it?" Mr Iqbal replied: "Yes."

Outside court, Mr Iqbal said: "I am very disappointed with the decision. I have been driving for 14 years. I have not got a job."

When told his name would be included in the report, he added: "Just forget it."

Well said.

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IDFIMH

Was actually going to comment on that when I posted, but it slipped my mind

I mean, the article states that he had speeding 'tickets' (ie offences) while the JP said he had 'numerous cautions for speeding'.

Which seems unlikely - you don't get *cautioned* for speeding, or at least it wouldn't be recorded as a formal caution?

Pedantic, maybe, but language a bit imprecise for a JP?

Dodgy JP ing, or dodgy reporting?

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IDFIMH

I suppose sloppy paraphrasing by the journalist could explain it.

On the other hand, the JP's words are included in quote marks, suggesting it's what he said verbatim.


If that's not actually what he said then very sloppy journalism indeed