STOKE

Taxi driver Azhar Hussain has been branded ‘a danger to the public’ after police found a knife in his car.

Officers searched the 30-year-old’s vehicle because he had previously told police he planned to arm himself with a blade, in response to a series of threats made against him.

But although Hussain admitted to having put the weapon in his glove box, he claimed he had been using it for DIY and forgot it was there.
A judge rejected his account and sentenced him to 21 weeks in prison, while Newcastle Borough Council has revoked his taxi licence in order to protect the public.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard Hussain was alone in his cab when police stopped him in Trentham Road.

Prosecutor Alicia Perry said: “The officers’ Automatic Number Plate Recognition triggered in respect of the defendant’s vehicle. He was suspected to be carrying a knife due to threats of violence that had been made towards him.

“The defendant was searched. An officer found a knife in the glove box. The defendant admitted he had put the knife there. He said he had taken it into B&Q to cut some plastic. He denied telling a police officer he had said he was going to keep a knife in his vehicle for protection.”

The court heard Hussain had been subjected to threats, which he had reported to police, since the breakdown of his arranged marriage.

Miss Perry said: “A statement was made to police in which the defendant said, ‘These people are dangerous, they are terrorists. They’ve got knives and guns. I’m going to be carrying a kitchen knife in my car. If I see these people again they are going to get stabbed up’.”

Hussain, of Erskine Street, Dresden, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place on August 30 last year. The court heard there was also a hammer in the glove box.

Tac Hussain, mitigating said: “He was frustrated and disappointed that Staffordshire Police could not take any action with regard to the threats he had received. The comment was made in anger because he wasn’t hearing what he wanted.

“Two weeks before he was stopped he had been to B&Q and purchased some materials. He had placed the items in the glove box and forgot about them.”

But Deputy District Judge David Goodman said Hussain’s account was ‘nonsense’.

Sentencing him, the judge said: “Those who carry knives for what they describe as self-protection would evidently use those knives if the circumstances, as they saw them, arose. That must be deterred by court sentences.

"To say you had forgotten about the knife is nonsense. To say it was in your car because you had been doing DIY is ridiculous. You are a danger to the public.”

Newcastle Borough Council welcomed the Hussain’s prosecution.
Councillor Stephen Sweeney, cabinet member for finance and efficiency, said: “The council welcomes this prosecution. Carrying a knife, especially when you’re a taxi driver, is a very serious offence.

“We revoked Mr Hussain’s licence with immediate effect in the interests of protecting the public.
“The council, and customers, demand the highest possible standards from our taxi drivers at all times. Our robust taxi licensing policy is designed to ensure that drivers – and their vehicles – provide a public service which puts the safety and welfare of passengers as the first priority.”

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk

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LEEDS

Around 150 taxi and private hire drivers crammed into Civic Hall’s council chamber to hear members of Leeds City Council’s licensing committee discuss concerns drivers had about the council’s suitability and convictions policy, which is set to come into force next month.

Many believed changes could mean motorists with seven or more points on their driving licence could be refused a taxi licence by the council. This is opposed to the council’s current regulations which requires applicants to have under 13 points.

Council officers clarified this wouldn’t necessarily apply to current taxi licence holders, and that, when new points were awarded for minor offences, this would be unlikely to see a licence revoked.

But unions and drivers’ associations claim proper consultation was not carried out with taxi licence holders, and that the assurances from officers were too vague.

Speaking to the meeting, Peter Davies, regional organiser for the GMB union, which represents drivers, told the committee: “Your consultation process has been real, albeit a little bit too late.
“I welcome you listening today and hearing those concerns – all we are really asking for is compromise. Nobody wants a fantastic, safe taxi service any more than the people who have packed this room out today.

“But you can get clocked at 34 in a 30 [zone] and you get caught on the way there and the way back – you’re on six points.

“To hear words like ‘this is likely’, ‘this might happen’ and ‘this can be considered’, that is not good enough for me.

“We need the consultation to be extended. Given the campaign we have seen to date, this issue is going to spread to neighbouring authorities.”

The new measures for taxi and private hire drivers were adopted by Leeds City Council’s executive committee back in November last year, and are due to come into effect in February 2020.

However, the item came before the committee due to “significant representations by hackney carriage and private hire associations, trade unions, drivers’ groups, and by private hire operators.”

Another representative, from the Unite union, claimed proper consultation was not carried out by the authority, adding: “I would like to thank you for taking it to this stage. This is like bolting the door after the horse is gone – it’s saying you are going to implement the policy but we will give you a say on the policy that already exists.

“Two hundred and fifty responses by 6,000 licence holders is not proportionate. It accounts for four per cent overall – this cannot be considered proportional.

“Not one of those I have been asked to speak on behalf of agrees with this. We will now be seeking legal advice.”

Earlier during the meeting, the item was discussed by members of the committee and Leeds City council officers, who agreed to form a working group to look further into the issue.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
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Taxis in west Suffolk could have a standard livery, a single licensing zone and uniform rules on vehicle ages and criminal convictions for drivers under new proposals.

West Suffolk Council has launched a public consultation with taxi drivers and residents for their views on proposals that would see the same policies applying to the trade across the district.
The move is part of an on-going process to align taxi policies of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils that began in 2017, ahead of the creation of the new West Suffolk Council in April 2019.

A council spokesman said: "Since 2017 we have been gradually aligning the policies of the two former authorities that came together to form the new West Suffolk Council.

"This is the last stage and we are looking for the views of the taxi trade, businesses and the public on proposals for completing that alignment and on updating best practice. We hope as many people as possible will take part."

The council wants to increase the time that must elapse for a conviction for violence from three years to seven, five years for racially aggravated and/or sexual offences, and remove the allowance for any applicants with a conviction for driving offences involving loss of life to be considered before seven years has lapsed. Currently it is three years.

It wants to add a new maximum age requirement of 10 years to all vehicles, except electric/zero emission vehicles, and wants views on whether or not to adopt a livery of silver or white vehicles for private hire.

All black cabs could have a coloured bonnet and boot. Yellow is the council's preferred choice, as per Hackney taxis in the former Forest Heath area, but suggestions for other colours are being invited.
Hackney carriages would also be able to operate under a single licensing area for the whole district, allowing drivers to ply for hire and pick up from any rank anywhere.

The two current licensing zones, A and B, reflect the former district and borough council areas.
Alignment of taxi services has been taken in stages to allow customers and the taxi trade to adjust to the changes.

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