Taxi Driver Online

Aint sure if this story has already been posted

Private Hire driver’s ban upheld by court


A COURT has upheld a conviction against a private hire driver convicted after a police operation.

Waqar Ali, of St Paul’s Road, Peterborough, appealed against Peterborough City Council’s decision to ban him from working as a private hire vehicle driver at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Under licensing laws, only hackney carriages – black cabs – can be flagged down and pick up fares in the street.

Private hire vehicles are not insured to pick up fares unless they were pre-booked by the passenger in advance.

Ali had been banned after he was caught in a police operation in October 2010 after illegally picking up undercover officers. He was also convicted of driving with no insurance.

The district judge at the court backed the council’s ban and turned down Ali’s appeal saying he was aware the council had an issue with private hire drivers working unlawfully.

He said he would be doing a disservice if he overruled Ali’s conviction, refusing to do so and ordered him to pay the council’s £200 costs.

Following his decision, Salah Trabelsi, of Cobden Street, Peterborough, who was caught in the same operation, quickly withdrew his appeal from the court on Thursday.

Trabelsi was also ordered to pay the council £50 costs.

Speaking after the court’s decision, Councillor Peter Hiller, cabinet member for housing, neighbourhoods and planning, said: “We welcome the result of this case and the confirmation that our decision was the right one.

“The protection of the travelling public is of paramount importance to us and people have the right to expect that licensed drivers are fit and proper to convey them.

“Our enforcement teams carry out this type of undercover operation on an ongoing basis to stop unlawful activity of this type.

“The taxi and private hire trade must be aware that if they break the rules for a quick illegal profit this authority will ensure it costs them dearly in the long run.”

Ian Robinson, the city council’s taxi enforcement officer, added: “Licensing enforcement officers closely monitor the taxi trade to protect the interests and safety of passengers and will not hesitate to prosecute any private hire driver who is found to be unlawfully plying for hire or ‘flagging’ as it is known in the trade.

“Many private hire drivers carry out their trade lawfully and condemn the few that bring the trade into disrepute.

“People who wish to use a private hire vehicle must pre-book the vehicle with the private hire company, not the driver, to ensure they are legally covered.”

The news comes after a similar operation in Peterborough in April was featured on Sky television documentary Cop-squad last week.

source: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin