Taxi Driver Online

Road rage cabbie's licence loss fear


A TAXI driver is having his licence reviewed after he assaulted a man who parked in a taxi rank.

Amjid Qurban, who has been a taxi driver for six years, lost his self control after Carlo Vella parked in the rank in Stafford Street, Hanley, on February 20 last year.

Mr Vella got out of his car and began walking to a bank when Qurban shouted: "You can't park there."

He then got out his taxi and shouted at Mr Vella, who was then assaulted.

Prosecutor Neil Ahuja told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Qurban was joined by other men.

He said: "Mr Vella was knocked to the ground in a shop doorway.

"This defendant was involved in punching and kicking him on the floor.

"It is clear from witnesses that the defendant was the main aggressor."

Mr Vella's girlfriend Sarah Twigg tried to intervene, but Qurban pushed her away.

Mr Ahuja said Mr Vella got up and kicked the defendant's taxi door.

He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and received a conditional discharge.

After he kicked the taxi Mr Vella was attacked again and was punched and kicked on the floor.

"Witnesses intervened to stop the attack, thinking the defendant was going to cause serious injury," said Mr Ahuja.

Mr Vella was left with a small cut and graze to his neck, bruising to his forearm and a sore chin.

Qurban, aged 27, of Spring Road, Normacot, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Mr Vella had been confrontational but conceded Qurban, as a taxi driver, should have reacted better.

"He wishes to apologise to the court for the loss of self control. He is ashamed. It was wholly out of character.

"Taxi drivers are regularly exposed to provocation of some description and like most taxi drivers, he has been the victim of violence," said Mr Cliff.

He said Qurban, who has no previous convictions, does not know whether he will be able to continue as a taxi driver.

"He will have to inform the licensing authorities of the outcome (of these proceedings) and they will have to decide what consequences will follow from that."

Mr Cliff added Qurban is a sole carer for his four-year-old daughter.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced Qurban to a community order with 120 hours' unpaid work.

He told the defendant: "You completely lost your temper and became so violent. But it was an aberration and I am prepared to accept that."

Qurban must also pay Mr Vella £300 compensation and £500 prosecution costs.

Councillor Joy Garner, chairman of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's licensing and registration panel, said: "If someone is referred to the licensing section, officers will first look at how serious the offence is.

"In really serious cases the chairman and vice-chairman of the panel and the senior licensing officer can sit and agree or disagree whether to immediately suspend a driver's licence."

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

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

Cant we stop this type of ars*hole from getting a driving job in the first place....what is it with these guys..utter loonies

Seems to me he hasn't the temperament to hack the job....

Me thinks he will have his badge revoked


What does it take? Just let them park on the ranks and let the traffic wardens deal with them.... Photo taken slaps on a penalty notice (£60)..... when offender returns, have a go at us for letting it happen!! Just ignore them, pretend they are not visible
Seen it happen once too often, when a driver gets out to "have a go at the offender" and ends up on their backsides bewildered as to why they are there IQ's of an amoeba
It ain't worth it!!

One of the reasons I don't feel happy about being in the trade anymore....
But will stick it out another 8 annum as it's better than stacking shelves at Tesco's....

I dont know, one driver here has jacked it in and now works at Asda, he is now better off by £200 per week for half the hours

I am thinking about selling the Big issue but do not have the qualifications
. I also thought about joining the circus.

Skippy 41 wrote



So cabbies in your neck of the woods are that badly off?

If your a driver here your on 40% of the bag, I had one driver tell me he had only done 1 £4.00 run on Monday night 6PM to midnight
Its about time the government changed the law to if you require a driver you must pay the min wage

But there is no minimum wage if your self employed....even though you might work for some one else

I must be the best boss in the world because my drivers are hourly paid for the school contracts that they do. If they want to earn extra by working the rank at a weekend they are working for themselves. They use my car and put the fuel in that they use but any money they take is their's. I don't take a cut and I don't charge rent.

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Grandad,

Thats what needs to be changed, if you dont own the vehicle the min wage must be paid, it could be very good for cutting down on cab/PH numbers

The driver should buy his own cab then skip, because if the government do what you suggest the owner won't put drivers in cabs on a Monday night

CC

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

Who were these other men? Were they taxi drivers too



Of course he does and of course he is but at the end of the day it's not his job to police the taxi rank is it.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

The guy has been in the job 6 years

CC

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

If we all went around assaulting people who park on taxi ranks, there would be a lot of people with sore faces and a glut of taxi drivers in court.

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