Taxi Driver Online

An illegal cab driver who was arrested twice in subsequent weekends has been jailed for a total of 18 weeks.

The sentence follows arrests made by the MPS Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Transport for London (TfL) funded Safer Transport Command (STC).

Nahim Gaffer-Doud, 37 years of Rectory Lane SW17 appeared at West London Magistrates Court on 15 June and pleaded guilty to two counts of touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

Plain clothed police officers were carrying out roadside and compliance checks on minicabs in Regent Street W1, in the early hours on Friday 27 May, when Gaffer-Doud approached the officers in his vehicle and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested for touting for hire and further checks revealed that he was disqualified from driving and uninsured. He was charged and bailed to appear at West London Magistrates Court at a later date.

But just over a week later, in the early hours of Saturday 4 June, Gaffer-Doud again approached plain clothed police officers, this time in Clapham High Street SW4 and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested and appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court later that day where he pleaded guilty to touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

Both cases were transferred to West London Magistrates Court and on 15 June, he was sentenced to a total of 18 weeks imprisonment.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, MPS Safer Transport Command, said: "The Cabs Enforcement Unit is dedicated to improving the safety and security of cabs and dealing with unbooked ‘minicabs’, which put the public at risk. This case should serve as a reminder that our officers are out on the streets of the capital targeting unbooked minicabs and bringing offenders to justice."


Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: “This is a fantastic result for the Safer Transport Command, who work tirelessly to minimise the threat posed by unbooked minicabs. The severity of the sentence given to Mr. Gaffer-Doud should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about touting in London. We will always push for the harshest punishment possible for those who engage in this criminal activity “

It's not a laughing matter, but FFS.

_________________
IDFIMH

So WTF did they not crush the car?

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Delighted this thief got his cumuppance, BUT as we well know he was very unlucky. You could tout for years in central London and never get a pull, never mind a jail sentence.

Weren't we told things like this dont go on in London?

CC

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

Of course the kind of criminals attracted to the minicab trade in the past no longer exist.......

LEYTONSTONE: 14 held after anti-gang raids


HOMES were raided this morning as part of a crackdown on gang members police believe are among the most violent in Waltham Forest.

A total of 14 people, including a 15-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman, were held following the operation, which begun on Tuesday night when suspected drug dealers were arrested in the High Road area of Leytonstone.

A total of 12 addresses in the area were raided at around 5am today (July 13), including a mini cab office, uncovered Heroin, cocaine, cannabis, a samurai sword, knives and a stab-proof vest.

All those arrested were questioned on suspicion of offences relating to the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin.

No-one was injured during the operation.

Superintendent Adrian Hutchinson said those arrested are believed to be so feared in the community that many victims of violence and intimidation refuse to co-operate with police enquiries.

He added: "The reason for this operation is that we believe these individuals are not just invloved in the regular supply of drugs, we believe they are the most violent gang members in this borough.

"The message is: 'we are going to get them'.

"Victims of crime violence are often other gang members and they do not want to work with police to secure convictions.

"Sometimes we have to approach it in a round-about way to remove them from the streets because gang members have an impact on every man woman and child throughout this borough.

"I will not rest until all those individuals have been dealt with.”

The operation is part of ongoing efforts to rehabilitate known gang members by offering them and their families help with job training, housing and addiction problems.

Supt Hutchinson added: "All these individuals have the opportunity to stop being involved in serious criminality and work with us.

"We have been working closely with the community on this. The community is central to this operation. "We have taken ideas on how to provide briefings and feedback on the situation.

"I think the community is already starting to see the difference."

Supt Hutchinson said he is confident there is enough strong evidence to continue with prosecutions.

"With the help of the community and the local authority, I believe the work we are doing will be rolled out across London and the rest of the country, he added.

"Wherever there is gang activity in this borough, we are going to be."

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/

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

Sarcasm Mode on

Wot organised crime running minicab offices in Britains greatest cities like london,Glasgow,Burmingham,Madchester impossible our police and Licensing authorities are so clever and efficient that couldn't happen as we all know Local Authorities always put the safety of the public before grabbing license fee money

Sarcasm mode off

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector