Taxi Driver Online

The Sentinel (Stoke)

March 22, 2007 Thursday

HEADLINE: 'Faulty' taxi sparks complaint by driver

BYLINE: Louise Psyllides

An Angry taxi driver has lodged a complaint with Trading Standards after claiming a garage sold him a hackney carriage with numerous defects.

Father-of-five Naeem Mahmood agreed to pay £19,500 for the new taxi from Fowlers Motors, in Silverdale, last month.

But Mr Mahmood, of Dryden Road, Cobridge, claims he discovered defects including a faulty intercom, inadequate seatbelts and a lack of heating when he got the taxi home.

The 38-year-old, who has since made a complaint to Trading Standards, said: "I went down to Fowlers and they said they could sell me a taxi for £19,500.

"They said it would have the full hackney carriage specifications.

"The next day I went down with my friend in his taxi and asked if the one I was buying would be the same as that vehicle, and they said it would.

"My friend's taxi has sat nav and a foot stepper and so on and they said they could do that all for me.

"They asked me to sign a sales contract, because I was borrowing the money from Lombard and they said they could get me the taxi in 10 days."

When Mr Mahmood went to the garage to pick up the taxi, staff told him it wasn't ready. Mr Mahmood, who has been a taxi driver for four years, said: "When I went down again to pick it up, they took me to see the car and I realised straight away the sign wasn't the shape I expected.

"When I got it home I saw the seatbelts were just hanging down and the seating is really bad - you can see the staples on the back seat.

"It's too high as well so I've got no back view. The intercom makes a rattling noise and there's no frequency or volume control.

"One of the door trims is missing too.

"There's no heating in the back and they haven't installed the safety device where the doors stay locked if your foot is on the brake.

"I feel the things they did give me are below standard."

A spokesman for Stoke-on-Trent City Council confirmed that Trading Standards was dealing with Mr Mahmood's complaint.

Fowlers Motors declined to comment.
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I wonder how many of the trade mags will publish this story?

Methinks none, cos the money they get from the likes of Fowlers pays for their holidays, and they are far more important than drivers.

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IDFIMH

Don't worry, TDO will get to the bottom of it and publish it.

Regards

JD