GLASGOW UBERK

A cabby who denied ‘pirating’ and asking a female passenger about her sexual history has been branded as a “liar”.

Uber driver Mohammed Addow was effectively stripped of his cab licence after failing to persuade city bosses that he was innocent of the allegations.

He had refuted claims that he picked three women up illegally on Queen Street last year, instead insisting that they had entered his cab without permission.

Mr Addow also denied an allegation from a fellow cabby in 2016 that he had been “pirating in town all the time and taking lots of money”.

And in a third allegation, made in 2015, the driver denied asking sexually motivated questions of a female passenger at a McDonald’s drive-through on Crow Road in Jordanhill.

But licensing committee member Gary Gray said: “As far as I’m concerned, you’re a liar. I’m surprised you have a licence.”

Mr Gray’s blast came after Mr Addow changed his story about all of the incidents several times, despite providing written statements to enforcement officers.

Speaking about the Queen Street incident, Mr Addow said: “That evening was a long time ago. I told the enforcement officers clearly that I don’t remember every job I do.”

That came despite him given a detailed written submission to enforcement officers, in which he claimed the women were ushered into his car by his friend. He also told the committee that when the women entered the cab, one of his female friends was already inside – something he never mentioned to enforcement officers.

Mr Addow was extensively questioned on the 2015 incidents, when he was alleged to have picked a woman up from Queen Margaret Union. After seeing she was upset, Mr Addow admitted to enforcement officers that he took her to a McDonalds drive-through before later claiming that the fast food outlet “may not have been open”.

The woman claimed the cabby had asked her a string of questions about her sexual history and that he had boasted about sleeping with students.

Mr Addow instead told licensing chiefs that it was the woman who had behaved inappropriately and had asked him if he had ever had a threesome. He also claimed the woman had racially abused him by calling him a “black b******” after he rejected her advances.

But licensing committee member Graham Campbell described those claims as “highly unlikely”, adding: “I don’t believe she asked you any questions about your sexual history.

“You said that the woman became racially abusive. I take exception when racism is used to defend oneself when it’s not warranted. It undermines all the other times when it is true. I don’t think you’re telling the truth.”

Mr Addow then admitted that he had made up his version of events and apologised to the committee.

Muslim committee member Hanif Raja then slammed Mr Addow for embarrassing himself.

He said: “I feel embarrassed. I’m very shocked at the way you’ve behaved today. You think we’re stupid. We’re not.

“Anybody who is serving the city of Glasgow is responsible for making sure passengers are safe. The claims against you aren’t made because of your colour. It’s because you were doing these things.

“I’ve been living in this country for 52 years, I’ve never come across one person accusing me of sexually harassing people. It’s not your right to question people sexually.”

The committee suspended Mr Addow’s cab licence until it expires, meaning he’ll have to re-apply for his job when the suspension is lifted.

https://goo.gl/FHr4rj 
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 STOCKTON

 A taxi driver has been left “terrified” after a thug set him alight in an unprovoked attack.

Sean Rogan, who has been a cabby for 30 years, had only just picked up two men on Oxbridge Avenue in Stockton when he felt a burning sensation on his arm.

He quickly realised his shirt had been set alight and jumped out of his Royal Cars taxi - the culprit then tried to fight him.

In a bizarre twist, the men then attempted to order another Royal Cars taxi immediately after the episode.

“They asked me to take them from Wembley Court in Oxbridge to Greta Road in Norton and then back again”, Sean, 51, said.

“They gave me the money before they even got in the car and we set off on the journey.

“I could then smell burning and then I just felt the heat, I looked down and my shirt was on fire.

“I immediately pulled over on Oxbridge Lane and jumped out of the car and told them to get out.

“When I looked round, one of the lads was holding a lighter and putting his fists up like he wanted to fight.

“They just did it for no apparent reason. They were shouting that they wanted their money back.”

Panicking, Sean fled and pulled over in a nearby Sainsbury’s where he called the office.

“When I called the office they told me the same lads had just tried to book another taxi from the Sainsbury’s I was at.

“I’ve had people do runners from my taxi and things in the past, but nothing like this.

 https://goo.gl/tnUJ54

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