Taxi Driver Online

Private hire boss has licence suspended

A leading figure in the private hire car trade in Reading has had his licence suspended by the council after an allegation of assault.

Manzoor Hussain, owner of Yellow Cars, based in London Road, and secretary of the Reading Private Hire Association, told the Evening Post the suspension followed an incident involving a Reading Borough Council licensing officer.

Mr Hussain admitted to having “a history” with the officer in question and accused the borough council of discriminating against the private hire operators.

He went to a private hearing of the licensing committee at the borough council on Monday and his licence was suspended.

He said he will be appealing against the decision and any appeal would be heard by Reading magistrates.

He said: “In court, we will be able to question the officer’s evidence more fully than we were able to. We think we will get a fairer hearing because this has been done by Reading Borough Council on the basis of information from their own employee.”

The incident has been reported to police.

Mr Hussain said: “There was an argument and there was some pushing and shoving. That’s all I can say at the moment.”

Police spokesman Adam Fisher said: “The incident happened on April 24 in Friar Street. A 50-year old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and is due to answer bail at Reading police station on June 2.”

Mr Hussain confirmed he had not been charged with anything yet.

He said: “My incident has brought the whole trade together. They feel they are being discriminated against and constantly picked on by the council’s officers while they ignore anything being done by the Hackney carriage drivers.

“They feel very low at the moment and say there is nothing for them here in Reading.”

Chris Branagan, spokesman for Reading Borough Council, said: “Any matters relating to an individual’s private hire licence are always heard in private and for this reason we cannot make any public statement on them.”

Mr Hussain has been in business in Reading since the 1980s and is involved in voluntary and community work. He drives for Readibus, the charity-run bus service for people unable to use public transport, and he is a trustee of the Reading Muslim Council.

Earlier this month, the Reading Private Hire Association sent a questionnaire to Reading Borough Council saying: “There is a perception in the private hire trade that the Hackney trade and the buses are seeking and getting commercial advantages from the facilities provided for them by RBC” and asking to what extent it was true.

The questionnaire asks whether the council has got “involved in the inter-trade competition in the guise of enforcement?”.

_________________
IDFIMH

Latest up-date.

Private hire boss appears in court on assault charge

A private hire driver charged with assault following an incident involving a council licensing enforcement officer has had his case adjourned.

Manzoor Hussain, director of Yellow Cars, appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court yesterday but his case was adjourned until July 2 for legal aid requests.

Hussain was arrested on April 24 after it was alleged he assaulted council worker Peter Narancic.

The 50-year-old from Otter Court, Whitley Wood, was released on unconditional bail.

_________________
IDFIMH

Is it a case of no smoke without fire or just a storm in a T cup? If he's found guilty will he still be fit and proper? You don't get many cases of this type cropping up.

Regards

JD

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