Taxi Driver Online

Wootton family's terror taxi ride

A HORRIFIED South Wootton man was forced to take control of a taxi carrying his family after the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

Shaun Akers' wife, children and in-laws were asleep in the back of the taxi when he noticed it drifting and changing speed on the M11. The driver had apparently nodded off and Mr Akers told him to get off the motorway so he could take over – and the driver slept the rest of the way to Gatwick Airport.

Mr Akers (36) believes he and his family could have been killed had he not woken by chance and roused the driver from his slumber. The family pre-booked the taxi with Haz's Cars, based on the North Lynn Industrial Estate, in March and were travelling to Gatwick to jet off for a two-week holiday in Corfu last month.

In the car were Mr Akers' wife Trudy (37), their daughters Beth (6) and Lily (4) and his parents-in-law Sue and Ken Fox, of Lynn. Mr Akers, of Oxborough Drive, said: "The taxi picked us up at a quarter past midnight and it was a very foggy night. We stopped for fuel at Downham and the driver bought two cans of Red Bull – the warning signs should have been there.

"We all fell asleep but I woke up on the M11 near Cambridge and he was driving very erratically – slowing down, speeding up and drifting on to the hard shoulder – and he kept rubbing his head.

"I saw we were catching up to a car in the left-hand lane quite quickly and I thought he should have overtaken. Then I realised he had drifted off and I shouted out his name to wake him up.

"I told him to get off the motorway and I said I would drive because I didn't want my family put in that position again. I was mortified. I drove
the rest of the way to the airport while the driver slept. "None of us slept a wink after that and we drove in silence. I think we were in shock."

He has since reported the incident, which took place in the early hours of Monday, June 11, to the police and West Norfolk Council, who are investigating. Mr Akers added "The driver could have killed us all and the people in the other car. What would have happened if I had been asleep?"

Owner of Haz's Cars, Mr Haz Khalil told the Lynn News the incident had been drawn to his attention and the matter dealt with internally. He said the driver in question had been driving during the day, but not for his company, and had since retired from Haz's Cars.

"As far as we are concerned he was driving when he was tired and he shouldn't have been. We have health and safety systems in place and this was an isolated incident," Mr Khalil added.

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IDFIMH

Really?

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IDFIMH

so he drove it without a licence and made a statement

But who prosecutes him, the area the vehicle was licensed in, or the area the vehicle was driven in?

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IDFIMH

If the vehicle had already left it's licensed area, an arguement could be made that at the time he took over driving it was not a licensed vehicle . I would guess he would have third party cover from his own insurers but at least it all turned out safe

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

I think it boils down to whether or not a prosecution is in the public's interest.

And as a member of the public in my view it's not.

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IDFIMH

A disturbing situation, which obviously doesn't effect us but it's interesting because at least two offences have been committed, one by the passenger and at leat one by the driver.

It will be interesting to see what happens?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

What should the passenger have done? He was going to the airport. Should he have missed his flight? I doubt if he knew that he needed a badge to be able to drive the vehicle. How many of us would have sat and waited for another driver or taxi to arrive? I know that I wouldn't.

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Grandad,

I suppose the first thought to cross his mind before he got behind the wheel was to consider whether or not he was insured to drive the vehicle? He wasn't insured to drive the vehicle therefore he put his own personal predicament above the legal requirments of the law.

I don't think thats very responsible do you?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

When your first thought is "will I miss my flight" I doubt that he thought to much about insurance. It has been pointed out that most people are covered to drive other vehicles so he maybe thought it was ok.
I would not say it was the responsible thing to do but I can understand why he did it.

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Grandad,

I can understand why he did it and I can also undertstand the risque he decided to take.

The fact remains that he wasn't insured to drive a private hire or taxi vehicle because as you well know no private hire or taxi insurance for hire and reward allows any unlicensed person to drive such a vehicle.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I think thats a matter for the Police to decide.

He may have even been a licensed driver himself.

Could it be further evidence that an unregulated market forces drivers to work longer hours ................ in this case it seems that the driver is working for one firm through the day and another through the night.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Exactly what is a matter for the police to decide?



And I suppose the owner of the vehicle just happened to have vehicle cover for any licensed driver? Shall we assume that in all probabilities the passenger wasn't a licensed taxi driver and the vehicle wasn't insured for any driver?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I would hazard a guess that his first thought once he got behind the wheel was something along the lines of "Thank f**k my family are still alive". I would also think that he wanted them out of the car asap, and further, legal issues regarding whether he was actually allowed to drive the thing were pretty low on his list of priorities.
I can't believe you don't think the same. Who cares if he gets in lumber for driving the car? What's more important; points on his license or four dead bodies?

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.