BRADFORD

A TAXI driver has been jailed for two years for sexually abusing a vulnerable young woman stranded in Bradford city centre in the early hours of the morning.

Married father-of-four, Farooq Ahmed, told his distressed passenger his sexual fantasies, pretended he was divorced and touched her bare knee.

His 26-year-old victim was so terrified she locked herself in her house and had never got into a taxi since, Bradford Crown Court heard.

She was off work for three months and had since moved home.

Ahmed, 38, of Birch Lane, West Bowling, Bradford, denied sexually assaulting the woman after picking her up at a taxi rank in Hall Ings, in Bradford city centre, at 4am on April 6 last year.

He was convicted by a jury today by a majority of 10-2.

After the verdict, Ahmed’s barrister, Stephen Uttley, conceded the offence was a serious breach of trust on a vulnerable woman and his client's conduct had shamed his family.

“His licence was suspended once he was charged and his career and source of employment has gone forever,” Mr Uttley said.

During the trial, the jury heard that the young woman twice rang the police asking for help to get home after arguing with her partner on a night out.

The operator advised her to ask a taxi driver to take her home for £4, which was all the money she had with her, and, when she approached Ahmed’s cab, he agreed.

He shared his sexual fantasies on the ten minute taxi ride and told her: “You would benefit from a real man.”

He also gave a false name and pretended to be divorced.

Once outside her home, he lent into the back of the taxi, touched the woman’s bare knee and asked if he could come into her house.

She got out of the cab on the pretext of checking to see if her partner was in. She locked herself in the house and called the police.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Ahmed that his victim had initially seen him as her saviour but he tried to seduce her.

“In the early hours of April 6, 2015, you sexually assaulted an isolated, vulnerable and distressed 26-year-old woman," he told him.

“You have been a taxi driver for at least 13 years and trusted by Bradford City to drive a Hackney Carriage, plying your vehicle for hire in the city centre.”

The judge also stressed that the “overwhelming majority” of taxi drivers are trustworthy and provide great assistance to the public.

http://goo.gl/bRVc3f

------------------------------------------------------------------

A call for all taxis in Denbighshire to be black in future looks likely to be shelved after protests from drivers and operators.

Councillors are being asked to reconsider the proposal which forms part of a new draft policy for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

Earlier this year the council consulted drivers and owners about the changes which covered everything from the age and size of vehicles to maintenance checks and conduct of drivers.

The authority previously angered cabbies by trying to enforce a strict dress code.

The results of the survey will be discussed by the licensing committee next week and in a report to members Graham Boase, the head of planning and public protection, says: “It is interesting to note that the majority of the responses to the policy have been positive.

“In fact the only areas where there has not been broad agreement relate to the colour requirement for hackney carriages and the requirement for hackney carriage vehicles to be three years old and private hire vehicles to be five years old.”

One operator said the all-black rule seemed to creating work for the sake of it, adding: “The large white light on the roof saying ‘Taxi’ should be enough of a highly visible symbol to show the public that they are entering a Hackney car.”

He quoted a recent report which claimed that black cars were 47% more likely to be involved in road accidents than other colours.

Other drivers pointed out that the all-black rule was now being relaxed even in London and that black vehicles were more expensive, while others complained that they were uncomfortable to sit in during warm weather.

The options being put to councillors are to stick to the all-black policy, to demand a lighter colour, for vehicles to have a different coloured bonnet, roof or boot, or for there to be no colour restriction.

http://goo.gl/GcjWqa

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coach and taxi drivers from across Cambridgeshire will stage a protest at police headquarters in Huntingdon to press for an investigation into community transport in the county.

Chief Constable Alec Wood has told protest organisers that his operational planning team will be in touch “to discuss safety and other tactical issues”.

Mr Wood was advised of the planned protest on June 14 in an email from the Cambridgeshire, Bus, Coach and Taxi Association (CBCTA).

The email was signed by Mark Holland, chairman of the CBCTA, and four other members of his committee.

Mr Holland told the chief constable they were unhappy with a “very dismissive investigation” carried out previously by Wisbech police.

Since then, said Mr Holland, the organisation had commissioned evidence from other bodies included an “a Home Office approved forensic company” to assess evidence.

He said the results had also been handed to Cambridgeshire County Council but the CBCTA had recently had sight of a council email suggesting “new evidence may be treated in an equally dismissive manner by the Cambridgeshire police”.

Mr Holland said their actions had support not only from all members of his organisation “as well as councillors and members of the public”.

Mr Wood told Mr Holland: “We are of course happy to receive any new information regarding your case which we would look to review.

“I hope this may cause you to deter your protest plans”.

Last month a county council spokesman said: “The council received last a pack of information from the Cambridgeshire Bus, Coach and Taxi Association (CBCT) making various allegations.

“This is something we take very seriously and are currently talking to partners to consider how best to investigate the claims. We have also made the police aware of the documents given the serious nature of some of the allegations.

“In addition we are looking at the claims about what training and licences drivers should have. This is a complex issue and while we are following the lead of other councils in how we deal with this, we are asking the Department for Transport for clarification.

“We will then take the appropriate action if anything changes as a result of this clarification.”

Behind the dispute is a long running battle - that began with taxi drivers in the Fens- concerned over losing business to community transport providers. They claim community transport have become commercial entities far removed from the origins of simply providing community transport for disadvantaged and isolated members of rural communities.

http://goo.gl/iLU45w

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAXI drivers at Luton Airport vented their fury at the loss of a contract by holding a demonstration this week on roads into the airport.

The unofficial protest caused chaos for commuters as up to 150 hackney carriage drivers 'plied for hire' on roads leading up to the airport - blocking the route for visitors to the airport.

People took to social media to complain about the delays to their journey, with some missing flight connections.

The protest comes shortly after Luton Airport handing a a long term contract with local drivers to operate at the airport over to London-based firm Addison Lee.

Local drivers fear they may lose their job as a result.

Although the demonstration on Wednesday morning was not organised by Luton Hackney Carriage Association, the group is looking at holding an 'official' demonstration.

Waqaas Mohuyddin, 37, a member, said: "The Luton Hackney Carriage Association was not part of any protest that happened.

"If individual drivers want to ply for hire then that is something they are in control of, we cannot stop them. And they are entitled to do that.

"There are discussions ongoing over holding an official demonstration in the upcoming weeks."

He added that the group was pushing for a taxi rank at the airport which could be used for local drivers to ply for hire - which would give customers the 'choice' between local drivers and the new fleet of vehicles from Addison Lee.

A Luton Airport spokesman said: "Our first priority is always our passengers, and we regret the impact this morning's unofficial protest may have had on people's journeys. We worked closely with the police to ensure that normal traffic conditions resumed as quickly as possible.

"The new operator, Addison Lee, continues to make efforts to engage with local drivers to discuss future employment opportunities. 

"We are monitoring the situation and working with the authorities to ensure airport operations run smoothly and any further disruption is kept to a minimum."

http://goo.gl/oAlpPj

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A court has heard how a taxi driver from Renfrew was caught with a cocaine haul with a street value of more than £300,000 on the A74(M) near Lockerbie.

Thomas Haggerty, 30, was stopped by police after a tip-off.

At the High Court in Glasgow, he admitted being concerned in the supply of the drug in July last year.

He will be sentenced on 29 June at the High Court in Edinburgh but was allowed bail to support his partner whose father had died suddenly.

The court heard how a search of Haggerty's car at Lockerbie police station revealed two blue packages each containing a kilo of cocaine.

Police also obtained a warrant to search his home later that day, but found nothing incriminating.
In court, Haggerty admitted the offence one mile south of junction 17 Lockerbie.

Advocate depute Stewart Ronnie, prosecuting, said: "About 1.40pm on 28 July, last year, the accused was seen by police driving in the northbound lane of the A74(M).

"Police had intelligence that he was carrying drugs and he was detained.
"He and his car were taken to Lockerbie police station and searched."

The court was told that police drugs experts who examined the cocaine found it to be 59% pure. At the time street cocaine was 15% pure.
Mr Ronnie added: "They are of the opinion that if the cocaine was adulterated to 15% and sold in one gram deals it would realise £312,000."
Defence counsel Tony Graham asked for bail, explaining that Haggerty would like to be able to support his partner.

Mr Graham added: "This is not a man who profited from drugs and nothing incriminating was found in his home.

"He has admitted a single day's supply couriering the drug."

Lord Boyd told Haggerty that he needed background reports before passing sentence.
"It would be unusual at this stage that you should be allowed bail, but I am prepared to admit you to bail," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-36435222

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WIGAN

A woman was raped after getting into a car in Wigan which she believed was a taxi, a jury has heard.

The alleged victim got into the car driven by Lee Watson after he drove up behind her and asked if she needed a taxi, it was claimed.

She was walking home alone after a row while out with her partner and his friend in Wigan town centre on Friday, December 4.

While on Ormskirk Road she made phone calls to her step-daughter arranging to meet her at a takeaway and in the last call she said she was en route in a taxi, said Frank Dillon, prosecuting.

When the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, did not turn up her step-daughter rang her but the calls went to voice mail.

“She was unable to answer, say the prosecution, because she was being raped in Lee Watson’s car and was unable to reach for her phone,” claimed Mr Dillon. “The prosecution case is that Lee Watson was cruising around, looking for a woman who might be the worse for drink, a woman of whom he could take advantage.”

Watson, 28, of Rivington Street, St Helens, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court denying rape.

In a video recorded police interview the woman said that she had believed the car was a taxi and got into the back.

She tried to fasten her safety belt but failed and was slumped in the back seat when he reached round and began rubbing her inner thigh.

After stopping in a secluded spot he quickly climbed from the front to the rear of the vehicle and got on top of her and raped her, she claimed.

Mr Dillon said that Watson the dropped her off by the takeaway and her step-daughter saw her clearly drunk in the back of the car without her shoes.

Her step-daughter asked Watson if he could take them home but he said he had another call, “maintaining the pretence that he was a taxi driver,” suggested Mr Dillon.

There were no taxi markings on the vehicle and when asked by the step-daughter he allegedly lied about the victim having allegedly already paid him the £5 fare.

Once outside the vehicle the woman said she had been raped and the police were contacted.

The next day Watson went to work and bragged to his foreman that he had “picked up a female with whom he had then had sex”.

He had similar conversations with other colleagues and showed a ring she had left behind. Meanwhile the alleged victim had discovered that her engagement ring was missing and thought she had left it in his car.

Mr Dillon pointed out to the jury that his conversations showed he believed she was highly intoxicated which must raise the question of whether he reasonably believed she was freely consenting to sex.

On December 8, after the police put out a witness appeal about the rape, Watson contacted them and was arrested. When his home was searched the engagement ring was found.

When interviewed he claimed he had been cruising around looking for a car show. He said his wife had asked him to collect her from a night out in Liverpool. “On his own account, despite that call, he still picked up the woman and still found time to have sex with her,” claimed Mr Dillon.

Watson alleged he had seen her stumble at the side of the road and asked if she was okay and she asked for a lift and got into the back of his car before he could answer. He decided just to drop her off as he was going that way anyway.

He denied saying or implying to her or her step-daughter that he was a taxi driver. He claimed she instigated sexual activity and asked him to take her somewhere for sex so he drove to near some industrial units.

Watson claimed she got into the front, climbed on top of him while facing him and they had sexual intercourse.

Mr Dillon told the jury they would have to consider whether he had been looking to take advantage of a woman worse the wear for drink or was he a Good Samaritan.”

The case continues

http://goo.gl/aOueVh

------------------------------------------------------------------

CLYDEBANK

A BID to run a non-wheelchair-accessible taxi in Clydebank is to go before councillors next week.

The former Clydebank District Council enforced a 100 per cent wheelchair friendly fleet in the area 20 years ago and exceptions are rare.

Craig Burns, of Queen Mary Avenue, has obtained a medical exemption from operating a wheelchair ramp, according to papers to go in front of the licensing committee next week.

He has requested permission when he changes vehicles in the future to use a Peugeot Partner Tepee or a Fiat Doblo, which have not been adapted to carry wheelchair passengers.

Council papers point out wheelchair passengers require minimal assistance when it comes to deploying ramps, and wheelchair friendly vehicles are much more expensive.

But it also acknowledges the committee granted someone else an exception on the wheelchair rule last December, also on medical grounds.

http://goo.gl/DNv6Hc