HARROGATE

A driver has lost a legal appeal against a decision to revoke his taxi licence in Harrogate.

In October last year, Mushtaq Ahmed, 53, from Bradford appeared before a licensing panel which decided he was no longer a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a taxi licence.

The panel was presented with evidence to show Mr Ahmed had repeatedly breached licensing conditions and local bye-laws over a three-year period.

It included him driving in pedestrian-only areas, collecting passengers from undesignated zones and not displaying taxi plates on his vehicle at all times.

Mr Ahmed appealed the decision to take his licence away and while waiting for the case to come to court was allowed to keep driving.

But, at York Magistrates Court, the licensing panel’s decision to revoke the licence was upheld and Mr Ahmed was told he would no longer be allowed to drive a taxi.

The court heard that in the time since the original hearing, Mr Ahmed had continued to breach the conditions of his licence, break bye-laws and that he had ignored warning letters sent to him from the council.

Mr Ahmed admitted the breaches, accepted that he ignored the letters and that he had misled council officials about why his taxi plate hadn’t been displayed.

In summing up, the magistrates said Mr Ahmed had showed a lack of respect for the licensing conditions and had no remorse for his actions. As well as losing his licence, Mr Ahmed was ordered to pay the council’s legal costs.

https://goo.gl/EERXDt
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 A WIRRAL-based taxi company is set to invest £100,000 to create 200 jobs in Ellesmere Port and Neston.

The investment by Argyle Satellite Taxis is part of a wider strategy aimed at boosting the local economy and supporting local businesses, particularly the night-time economy.

Argyle Satellite Taxis has approximately 700 self-employed drivers completing more than 55,000 journeys every week throughout Wirral, Cheshire and Merseyside.

Following increased demand for service in the Cheshire towns over the past eighteen months, Argyle Satellite successfully applied for and were recently granted a Cheshire West and Cheshire Private Hire Operator’s licence.

John Dunne, of Argyle Satellite Ltd, stressed the importance the business has placed on its expansion plan, adding: “The Ellesmere Port and Neston expansion is a stand-alone model, targeted to be driven by the people of these areas.”

He added: “The Wirral fleet of drivers will be used to support the area and to assist in improving efficiency, but I must stress that we are looking to create an Ellesmere Port and Neston private hire company, operating within the brand of Argyle Satellite Ltd.”

Chris Jordan, Argyle Satellite CEO, hailed the move towards Ellesmere Port and Neston as a major benefit to the transport infrastructure throughout the borough.

He said, “There is no doubt that this exciting opportunity not only benefits Argyle Satellite, but also creates potential employment across the borough for other businesses”

With a full service launched across Ellesmere Port and Neston on November 5, Andrew Jordan, Business Support Manager for Argyle Satellite Taxis, is confident that there is demand for their service.

He said: "By providing customers with a greater range of booking methods, using the most up to date technology and equipment, customers can book their journey in many ways. Our call centre handles more than thirty thousand calls a week through the 201-0001 and 201-1111 telephone lines. However, we now have a market leading consumer app; putting customers in control of how they book their journey, at what time and how they pay for it.

 Unlike other taxi booking apps, the Argyle Satellite app allows the customer to store card details on their phone for convenience yet allows the customer to choose whether they wish to pay cash or card.”

https://goo.gl/6jiuRq 
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Taxi drivers in Cardiff have been told they may have tinted glass on the vehicles - if CCTV is installed.

A Cardiff council public protection committee heard taxi drivers in the city are having to pay up to £2,000 to replace tinted glass on new vehicles to comply with council rules.

The committee was asked to remove a council condition for all Cardiff's private hire and hackney carriage vehicles - which stated windscreens must allow at least 75 per cent of light to pass through, with all other windows allowing 70 per cent.

Councillors have voted to allow tinted glass in new vehicles if it has been installed by the manufacturers.

The move would mean taxi drivers would no longer have to pay to replace tinted glass on new vehicles.

But taxi drivers must install CCTV in their vehicles if they want to keep glass which is darker than allowed currently.

Councillors passed the new measure put forward by committee member councillor Adrian Robson, despite some concerns about safety.

Councillor Sue Goddard said: "As a lone woman travelling I want people to see me and to see people around me at all times.

"Personally, I'm dead against tinted windows."

South Wales Police told the committee it was not aware of any safety concerns around darkened glass.

Councillor Robson said: "There has to be some pragmatism about this. The police have said there are no concerns they are aware of.

"I do have some sympathy. They buy a new car, it's up to spec, and then they find they have to spend the best part of £2,000 changing the windows."

The committee voted four for and four against the proposal. Chairwoman of the committee, councillor Norma Mackie, had the deciding vote and it was passed.

Following the vote councillor Joel Williams added: "(The windows) are going to be tinted more, which makes it harder to see out of the taxis. The taxi drivers will go nuts because they will have to pay for CCTV."
https://goo.gl/4aFdrV