Taxi Driver Online

NOT ACCEPTABLE: DISGRUNTLED HACKNEY DRIVER WRITES LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO WAKEFIELD COUNCIL -DETAILED BELOW
Has this ever happened to you? Share your thoughts....
‼️NEW VEHICLE APPLICATION PLATE
"To whom this may concern. I took my car in for a compliance test on Friday 24th February. This was a new application which passed, so I went to collect my plate.

I was given by one of your officers a plate with the date on the plate alreay expired. It has last years date on it.

When I went to work on Friday night my operator refused to let me work.

I tried to call the Licensing Department at 3pm they said offices are closed. Every full-time member of staff is contracted to work until at least 5pm.
I've lost my income because of this crippling mistake and it's not just a one-off.
The Licensing Department is constantly making mistake after mistake. A few weeks ago I went o collect my badge and it had the wrong number on it.
I would like to make a formal complaint upon which I seek reimbursement for all the days from 24th February that it takes to get a new badge. This has put me and my family out of pocket and caused a great burden on me. I wish for this to be accepted and resolved quickly. When can I expect a resolution? "
Wakefield Hackney Driver

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Mistakes happen, and to a degree the driver is slightly at fault as he didn't notice either.

But the council is at fault, and the fact they were down the pub after Friday lunch is their problem, not the drivers.

There should have been a way that the operator could have contacted someone at the council, even during the weekend.

The driver should make, and it seems he has, a formal complaint to the council. Not just the email but a formal online complaint, which will be found on the council's website.

And if he gets no joy from that, he must go to the Local Government's Ombudsman.

To answer the question posed, no this has never happened to me or anyone I know, but if it did it would be rectified no matter what time, or what day of the week it occurred.

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IDFIMH

Are you saying that your council licensing department is manned 24/7?
Ours is not usually manned at any time now with staff working from home.

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Grandad,

No, but over the years sensible people build up a very good/healthy relationship with LOs which allows contact 24/7.

Should an issue arise similar to the one outlined in the opening post, a phone call could be made, and I would be very surprised if another phone call wouldn't be made to the operator giving the ok allowing the fella to work.

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IDFIMH

Sheffield Council has recently issued a Hackney carriage vehicle licence to a Non WAV Private hire Vehicle by mistake.
The Plate as well as the Vehicle Paper license was given to a Renewal application of a private hire but instead was given a Hackney carriage vehicle licence

What is the legality of the Driver now working the Ranks & streets ?

A local car was seen yesterday that had a private hire sign in the front window and a hackney plate on the back and no top light. I can't wait to find out what happened there.

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Grandad,

It would be illegal and hopefully has already been rectified.

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IDFIMH

dual badging will cover that

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Will not cover the vehicle.

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IDFIMH

Taxi driver taking legal action against Wakefield Council over licence plate ‘error’ which cost him £1,000



A taxi driver is taking legal action over claims that a Wakefield Council licensing error left him unable to work.

Cabbie Ishfaq Hussain said the mistake has left him up to £1000 out of pocket after he was issued with an out of date licence plate.

Mr Hussain made a successful application to the local authority to have his Hackney carriage licence renewed earlier this year.

The father-of-five said a new licence plate was posted to his home which had an expiry date of February 19, 2023.

Mr Hussain, 36, a driver based in Pontefract since 2017, said the plate was already four days out of date by the time he received it.

He said: “When I showed it to my operator they spotted the mistake and told me I couldn’t work until it got sorted.

“By then it was a Friday afternoon and I tried to ring the licensing office but couldn’t get through. It meant I couldn’t work over the weekend

“It was the last weekend of the month when a lot of people go out after getting paid. It’s a big weekend for lots of taxi drivers. I would have expected to have made between £800 and £1,000.”

Mr Hussain has now returned to work after being reissued with a new plate but said he has made a formal complaint against the council and is seeking legal action to recover lost income.

Mr Hussain, from Bingley, added: “I didn’t notice the mistake at first because you don’t expect mistakes like that to be made.

“The council are constantly saying to drivers that they expect us to be professional at all times. It’s only fair that we should be able to expect them to be professional too.

“It was a lot of money for me to lose and I will struggle to pay my mortgage this month.”

Mr Hussain later received an e-mail from the council’s licensing office stating: “As you have pointed out, the licence was issued with incorrect dates. This was a genuine mistake as a result of human error.

“Although we endeavour to minimise mistakes, the licensing office processes thousands of licences each year and, from time to time, small mistakes are inevitable.”

Yasar Ahmed, president of Wakefield Drivers Association, said: “The fact that Wakefield Council can dismiss their life-changing incompetence as “human error” simply highlights the dismissive nature and pure incompetence that taxi drivers have to face.

“No urgency or action was taken when notified. If we were to make a “human error” mistake, it would be a five-year ban for dishonesty.

“This is simply appalling and disingenuous to our profession.

“West Yorkshire Major Tracy Brabin called us the ‘fourth emergency service’.

“Wakefield Council treats us with discontent. We have had enough.”

Glynn Humphries, the council’s corporate director for communities, environment and climate change, said: “We are aware of the issue raised by the complainant and we are responding in line with our procedures.”

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IDFIMH

I wonder if the tax man will use these figures to send him a new tax bill because I doubt that he declares all his income based on taking that much over a weekend.

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Grandad,

Exactly, the fella is a numpty.

Should it get to the small claims court the judge will expect to see tax returns to justify that claim.

Will that driver's tax return show earnings of £50-70,000?

I don't f***ing think so.

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IDFIMH

Illegal on what basis?

Driver has a Dual drivers license and has now been issued a Hackney carriage vehicle license both plate and paper issued by the council. Legal in all ways

Would his private hire insurance cover hackney work?

If someone puts £100,000 in your bank account by mistake, you can't legally spend it.

If someone gives a newly passed driver a HGV license by mistake, by your logic he can drive one.

The courts would view the actions of someone trying to gain an advantage, via a genuine mistake, as not those of a 'fit and proper' person.

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IDFIMH

If the driver has a Duel Taxi drivers license issued by the council then he is deemed fit & proper.
of Couse his private hire insurance doesn't cover hackney but it takes a phone call to change it.

from what I've heard is the driver as well as a few councilors has argued what i have explained and the driver has had a Meter fitted in line with council rate with all proper documentation and the Council has agreed then cannot legally take away the license and now has to run to expire date.