GLASGOW

A petition has been launched for a Glasgow taxi driver to be given his license back after it was suspended following an altercation with a passenger.

Kenneth Clark picked the female passenger up outside Glasgow Central Station. She asked to be taken to the bank, but on realising the driver was going to the wrong branch the woman became aggressive and started spitting at the visor.

The driver stopped the taxi and the woman got out and began kicking and punching at the vehicle, before also attacking Kenneth.


Kenneth then punched the woman in what he claimed was self defence when he was brought before the Glasgow City Council licensing committee last week.

Police Scotland did not press charges against Kenneth. A woman was arrested and charged following the incident in connection with an assault and vandalism.

A spokesperson for the police said: "Police were made aware of an incident in South Frederick Street, Glasgow, in March 2019. Extensive inquiries were carried out and a 28-year-old woman was arrested, charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with an assault and vandalism."

Following discussions and viewing a video of the incident, councillors decided to suspend Kenneth's license following the discussion.

Now, a campaign has been set up supporting the taxi driver and calling for him to have his license returned to him.

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 RUNCORN

A passenger racially abused a taxi driver and smashed up his car in a row over the price of the fare.
Mark Stephen Davies, 32, from Porthleven Road, Runcorn pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault and criminal damage.

Davies and a woman were picked up by a Hungarian taxi driver, at an address in West Bank, Widnes, on March 20.
However when the taxi pulled up at its destination - in Riding Lane, Runcorn - Davies got into an argument with the driver over the fare price.
Chester Crown Court, on August 23, heard how Davies objected to the price and paying the toll fee and an argument between him and the driver began.
He then racially abused and assaulted the driver before smashing one of the car's rear windows and wing mirrors before fleeing the scene.

In court Davies was jailed for nine months for racially aggravated assault and racially aggravated criminal damage.

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A Sheffield taxi driver has narrowly avoided being sent to prison, after he drove at a cyclist in a 'moment of madness' and caused her to fall off her bike.

The incident took place at just after 9am on January 26 last year, when defendant Iftikhar Ahmed was driving his Volkswagon Passat taxi up Ecclesall Road. 

During a hearing held today, Sheffield Crown Court was told how a cyclist riding in front of Ahmed indicated that she was about to overtake a bus that had stopped to allow passengers to alight. 

"The taxi you were driving drove forward and blocked her away around the bus. She said that was in spite of the traffic in front of you," Recorder Keir Monteith told Ahmed, of Joshua Road, Nether Edge.

The incident took place in Ecclesall Road in January last year

He added: "She hit the near side passenger window to talk to you. You opened the window and shouted something aggressive, and she was very frank with the police, and this court, in saying she called you a psycho." 

Following the altercation, the bus and the cyclist both began to move off, but Ahmed, 46, drove straight at the cyclist in what Recorder Monteith described as a 'moment of madness'.

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WILTSHIRE Council has ruled out a separate lower taxi tariff scheme for Salisbury.

It comes as county chiefs have asked Wiltshire’s taxi drivers to come up with their own new county-wide tariff scheme.

However, some city businesses and councillors believe that having one tariff, including a standard late night charge, is “not fair” and is “putting drivers in the city at a disadvantage”.

Some connected to Salisbury’s night life also claimed that having a lower tariff rate to the rest of the county would draw more punters in.

But Wiltshire Council this week confirmed its plans to keep a single tariff in place.

In response, Salisbury councillor Atiqul Hoque said that while the rest of the county approves of a standard tariff, drivers in Salisbury want more flexibility.

He said: “The Wiltshire tariff is a concern for the late night economy in Salisbury. “The fundamental difference is everybody else is happy with the one tariff apart from in Salisbury.”

According to Wiltshire Council, the county currently uses a five-tariffs system which sees drivers charge a maximum £2 for every mile and rising to £3 after 10.30pm and £4 a mile after 2.30am.

However, these tariffs have been slammed by city taxi company All The Sevens - which itself uses a separate payment system.

Its director Gary Taylor said: “The problem lies with Wiltshire Council and the stupidly high tariffs they have set.

“We still operate on the old three-tariff system, which is day time, night time, and a separate tariff for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

“The council set a five-tariff system, whereby independent taxi drivers in the taxi rank can charge higher prices. They are not doing anything wrong, because its within the system, but people coming out of a nightclub in Salisbury wouldn’t always think to phone a taxi company, they just go to the first cab on the rank and may end up getting charged more.”

He added: “I do feel sorry for the people of Salisbury, and its late night economy, because they and it are suffering.

“These independent drivers, and again they are not doing anything wrong, are charging hugely inflated prices, especially after 2.30am.”

Trade representatives have until December 10 to put forward a new proposal for taxi charges in Wiltshire.

Visit: wiltshire.gov.uk