Tracy Noddings, who trades as Noddies, also lost her licence to run public service vehicles following a public inquiry in Leeds last week.
The company had a contract with Stockton Council to transport children to and from three schools in the area.
North East Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney took action against Mrs Noddings and her operating licence after hearing that her vehicles were found with serious defects.
Government inspectors reported worn rear brake pads, an emergency exit that could not be opened from the outside and a missing passenger seatbelt cover exposing sharp edges that could have caused an injury.
She was also operating a third vehicle unlawfully, illegally using another firm’s licence disc. Her own licence only allowed her to operate a maximum of two vehicles.
Kevin Rooney said: “Mrs Noddings borrowed a licence disc from another operator to extend her business. As the holder of a restricted PSV licence for nine years, I have no doubt that Mrs Noddings knew this act was unlawful.
“Not only has Mrs Noddings enjoyed a commercial advantage, it is clear she has also put the safety of her passengers and other road users in jeopardy.”
In February, examiners from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stopped a vehicle during a school check and the driver said he was working for Tracy Noddings.
The vehicle displayed a licence disc in the name of another driver who subsequently confirmed he was not operating the vehicle. The disc was therefore being used illegally by Tracy Noddings, said the Traffic Commissioner.
Tracy Noddings did not attend the public inquiry on September 14 .
But she had previously submitted evidence stating she was unaware she was committing any offences.
She largely blamed maintenance contractors for the maintenance failures.
The orders come into effect on October 14 and mean that she will not be able to carry passengers commercially.
A spokesman for Stockton Council said: “We have suspended the company with immediate effect and arranged alternative provision for the routes affected.”
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/indefinite-ban-taxi-firm-carried-11919668
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More than 700 Sheffield taxi drivers have licences issued to them by councils hundreds of miles away sparking concerns over safety and welfare.
The can reveal 414 Sheffield drivers have licences issued to them by Rossendale Borough Council in Lancashire - nearly two hours drive away.
With a population of 69,400 in Rossendale they have licensed 2844 Vehicles,4422 Drivers!
Others have been issued by authorities as far away as London and Anglesey in Wales.
Sheffield operates stringent tests for drivers to obtain a private hire licence and it's feared those with criminal records or poor standards of English and general knowledge are operating in the city because of a loophole in the law.
Worried MPs, the council and taxi representatives today demanded a change in the law after it was revealed more than 700 drivers with city addresses have had licences issued by councils other than Sheffield.
Sheffield taxi driver Ibrar Hussain, a GMB union rep, said he was ‘shocked’ 53 drivers living in Sheffield have taxi licences issued to them by Transport for London and seven from the Isle of Anglesey in Wales – more than three hours drive away.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/we-need-to-change-the-law-over-700-sheffield-taxi-drivers-licensed-by-councils-hundreds-of-miles-away-1-8140078?
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Comment;
Rossendale is 60 miles away from Sheffield, not hundreds of miles.
Whilst out-of Town vehicles are a massive problem, particularly for Public Protection, when you tell porkies, you loose the impact of your argument.
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NOTTINGHAM
A taxi driver offering a woman money for oral sex is among 30 complaints to a police force since it started recording misogyny as a hate crime.
Nottinghamshire Police said there has been national and global interest since the policy was implemented on 4 April.
One man has been charged with misogyny hate crime so far following an alleged sexually motivated assault.
The force's chief constable, Sue Fish, expects the policy to be implemented nationally by other police forces.
"We've had a huge amount of interest from other parts of the country and I have to say globally, which took us a little by surprise," she said.
"Other places are talking about this and recognising misogyny as a really serious issue."
She said the policy had been misreported and misunderstood.
"It's not criminalising wolf-whistling," she said. "That's absolutely trivialising something that is really far more fundamental than that.
"This is about some gratuitous abuse, both physical and verbal, of women because they are women."
There have been 30 complaints to Nottinghamshire Police since the policy was implemented on 4 April.
The law has not changed, and perpetrators can only be charged with crimes if their offences were already against the law.
Anything which is not a criminal offence is recorded as a hate incident with a misogynistic hate crime qualifier.
Of the 30 complaints so far, 11 have been recorded as hate crimes and the other 19 have been recorded as hate incidents.
The crimes reported include:
Sexual assault on a female aged 13 years and over
Public fear, alarm or distress
Racially or religiously aggravated public fear, alarm or distress
Possession of 'other' weapons
Harassment
The woman who reported being offered money by a taxi driver in exchange for oral sex told police she was so scared she climbed out of the window of the locked vehicle.
Police are treating this as an assault, due to the fear of violence. Nobody has been arrested yet.
While misogynistic behaviour in itself may not be a criminal offence, reporting it means Nottinghamshire Police can investigate and establish whether a crime has taken place.
Even if a criminal offence has not taken place, police have been trained to offer support as they would to any victim of a hate crime.
Other steps can also be taken, such as speaking to the perpetrator about their behaviour, and civil remedies such as injunctions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-37431463
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A north Belfast taxi driver allegedly agreed to store £45,000 worth of cannabis resin in a bid to reduce his own drug debt, the High Court heard today.
Colin Pilson's lawyer described him as "a perfect patsy", desperate to pay off a £1,600 bill from an addiction to cocaine.
The father-of-two, from Forthriver Link in the city, is charged with possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply following the seizure made last week.
He was granted bail on condition that he reports to police daily.
Officers recovered nine kilos of cannabis during searches of a property linked to Pilson in the Glencairn area of Belfast on September 13.
He handed himself in at a PSNI station early the next morning after taking time to "get his nerve up", the court heard.
Prosecution counsel said Pilson told police he owed £1,500-£1,600 from his own cocaine addiction, paying it off by £100 a week.
The accused claimed a man he refused to name offered to cut the debt and repayments by around a half if he would store cannabis.
According to Pilson's account someone was to phone him and arrange to collect the packages from him.
"He said he had not been threatened to store the drugs, however he did feel he would come under pressure with regards his outstanding debt," the prosecutor added.
Defence barrister Richard McConkey argued that his client was not on the police radar.
"He's a perfect patsy for drug dealers; a debt accrued and someone completely desperate to get out of that debt who is the easiest person to store the drugs."
At one point Pilson, who appeared via prison video-link, broke down as it was revealed that his wife had tragically died when she was in her thirties.
Granting bail, Lord Justice Weatherup said Pilson would now be watched closely by police.
He ordered the accused to report to the PSNI daily and surrender his passport
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-taxi-driver-stored-45k-of-cannabis-resin-to-payoff-drug-debts-court-hears-35068088.html?
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TAXI fares are on the rise in Worcester after cabbies secured a deal on inflation-busting hikes.
Worcester City Council has voted to allow cabbies to increase the charges by "10p per mile" from January.
The decision, made by the city's licensing and environmental health committee, will see the 'flag down' fare rise 10p to £3.60, with the charges for "each subsequent mile" going up by 10p.
Although the percentage rise will vary, it means typical one-mile journeys will increase 2.4 per cent to £4.20 while two miles will cost £5.90, a 3.5 per cent rise.
It was voted through by councillors after they rejected a bid to put some journeys up by 20p per mile, saying it was too much.
Soiling charges for people who spoil the insides of cabs will surge by £25, costing culprits £75.
Councillor Richard Udall, speaking during the meeting, said: "I am relatively sympathetic to the drivers but my concern is for the consumer.
"They are finding life tough, they have faced 10 years of austerity which has ground them down, many people haven't had a pay rise since 2008.
"We've even had a period of negative inflation."
He cited concerns over people in his area struggling to get by, including one disabled woman in Dines Green who had to spend “£60 a week” getting to Worcestershire Royal Hospital three times a week for hospital treatment and another single mum who spent £50 because her child spent time in hospital and she had to visit five days in a row.
During the debate Councillor Lucy Hodgson said she had concerns over the driver's bid for 20p per mile hikes on some tariffs, telling fellow councillors she felt it went too far.
“As a resident and a councillor in a ward on the edge of the city I really do have concerns over the 20p charge – a lot of buses have gone but people still need to get into the city to work, to shop,” she said.
"It's a step too far, some people could become really isolated. I am really struggling with it.
"For some people a taxi is not a luxury, it's a necessity."
The drivers wanted to start the rises from December 1, but Councillor Knight called for a month's delay, which was accepted.
The committee then voted to block the 20p per mile hike and peg it to 10p.
During the debate Councillor Mike Johnson suggested the 10p per mile rise be limited to the "first three miles" of a journey, saying it would "penalise" people who need to travel longer distances.
But that bid was rejected, despite support from Councillor Knight, as the rest of the committee felt it was too complicated.
Rob Day, from Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, turned up to speak for the cabbies.
He said the last rise was two-and-a-half years ago and that fuel prices and insurance costs were harming the trade.
“We understand it’s never a good time to ask for an increase,” he said.
“But it has been two-and-a-half years since the last one.
"Most of the journeys that are outside Worcester are done by a fixed price anyway, the vast majority of customers will not be affected.”
In August the UK inflation rate was at just 0.6 per cent.
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/14753983.Taxi_drivers_in_Worcester_secure_inflation_busting_fare_rise_deal/?
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