SANDWELL

A taxi driver who begged female passengers not to report him for making repeated sexual remarks has had his private hire licence withdrawn.

Sandwell councillors refused to renew the unnamed man’s permit at a closed meeting of the borough’s licensing committee after hearing he had since been convicted of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Minutes of the August meeting of the licensing subcommittee showed the driver – referred to only as Mr L H – had picked up the women outside Birmingham’s New Street railway station in February offering to drive them to Lichfield for £35.
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During the journey he made indecent and inappropriate comments towards the passengers and allegedly unplugged a camera inside the vehicle.

They asked him several times to stop and later told police that they did nothing to encourage the behaviour. When women got out of the car, they took a photograph of the vehicle’s licence plate at which point he pleaded with them not to report him.


He also knocked on the door of the house where he had dropped off the passengers and begged the mother not to let her daughter call the police as he did not want to lose his licence.

He was later arrested before being convicted in June for using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Through his solicitor Mr L H admitted to councillors he did engage in inappropriate discussions with the passengers and he apologised to the passengers and their family for his behaviour.

Members of the committee were told that in June last year he was allowed to keep his private hire licence after he was cleared of an alleged sexual assault by a court – but was cautioned by councillors about his future conduct.

After taking advice from their legal advisor councillors refused to renew his taxi permit saying he was not a fit and proper person and he had exhibited inappropriate behaviour despite being previously warned.

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 BOLTON

 A cab driver has been suspended for 12 weeks after he was spotted making an illegal U-turn in the centre of Bolton .

The driver was also accused of overcharging a passenger in June 2016.

He was also issued a “significant” fine and penalty points after failing to present personal details when asked by authorities in January 2018 following an alleged speeding offence.

Bolton Council's licensing sub-committee heard his explanation of events that led up to the offence.

He admitted to receiving the request for information but had failed to respond to the police as he claimed he had not been speeding.

Councillors were concerned the driver had been using the vehicle as a taxi at the time of the speeding incident, according to minutes from the meeting in August.

They said: “Members also referred to the second complaint which the driver admitted to and were concerned that making an illegal U- turn on Bradford Street was an extremely dangerous manoeuvre and could have put himself and other members of the public in danger.”

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 EDINBURGH

Taxi drivers in the Capital have demanded that more is done to reduce “flagrant breaches” of regulations by private hire drivers in the city and that current numbers should be a “cause for concern”.

Their union also hit out at the council’s reticence to include adequate enforcement as part of its regulation of the trade and called for a dedicated enforcement team.

According to a freedom of information request, Edinburgh City Council dealt with 1,455 complaints against private hire car operators and private hire car driving licence-holders in the last two years.

The demand by Unite Edinburgh’s taxi branch is part of a wider petition which will be presented to councillors at the City Chambers on Friday.

More than 500 drivers across the city have signed the petition which calls for a cap on the number of private hire vehicles in the capital.

Chair of the Unite Edinburgh cab branch, Scott Blair, said that “serious concerns” have been raised by drivers in the city about the conduct of private hire drivers.

He added that the potential extra emissions and congestion were also of concern to members.

Drivers are due to show support of the petition outside the City Chambers on Wednesday by attaching banners with their demands to a trailer.

He said: “The number of licenses in Edinburgh should be a cause of concern for cab drivers, private hire drivers and passengers.

“Serious concerns have been raised regarding the flagrant breaches of regulations that occur throughout the City particularly at the weekends.”

Drivers are due to show support of the petition outside the City Chambers on Wednesday by attaching banners with their demands to a trailer.

Mr Blair added: “The refusal of Edinburgh City Council to include enforcement as part of its regulation of the trade puts the public at risk from unscrupulous and illegal operators.

“Drivers and the public are rightly demanding a dedicated enforcement team. As ambassadors for Edinburgh, we play a vital role in supporting Edinburgh as a destination of choice for tourists and residents.

“Councils across Scotland and the wider UK have taken the lead, it's time for Edinburgh to follow.”

Licensing Sub-Committee Convener, Cllr Catherine Fullerton, said: “The Council have officers, including staff operating out of the taxi examination centre, working in partnership with Police Scotland to monitor and inspect the private hire and taxi trades across the city, ensuring the safety of the public and that the high standards we have are maintained.

"Periodic spot checks are carried out on the taxi and private hire trade and any complaints are investigated. All licensed private hire and taxi drivers undergo full checks to ensure that the Licensing Authority are satisfied that drivers are ‘fit and proper’.

"We would strongly encourage all members of the public to make sure they get into licensed taxis or pre-book their private hire car journey."

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