A "silly" taxi driver tried to pin a speeding fine on an 18-year-old girl who had left her licence in the back of a cab.
YorkshireLive reports that Umar Sattar, 35, had been caught speeding at 48mph in a 40mph zone when was driving a fare to Wakefield Train Station on November 12.
He received a notice of intended prosecution but identified the driver at the time as an Alice Brown, with a Heckmondwike address.
Prosecutor Joseph Bell told Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday 20 February: "The court papers were sent but she didn't live there and didn't get them.
"She was fined £220 at Bradford Magistrates' Court as well as a victim surcharge and costs.
"It wasn't until June last year when she was chased about the money owed that she found out."
Ms Brown told her mum, who spoke to the court and the issue was chased up.
It was confirmed that Sattar, from Dewsbury, was the driver through records held by the taxi office.
The court heard that Ms Brown had left her provisional driving licence in a taxi in February 2022 and it had been "circulating" around the taxi community since.
Mr Bell said: "On the 5th of July last year he [Sattar] was interviewed and said he had done it and that he already had six points on his licence and didn't want anymore.
"He spoke to someone who said he could sort it out for him and gave them the notice of intended prosecution. He refused to name who it was.
"He said he was sorry and was being silly and just wanted to keep his taxi licence."
Sattar went on to admit perverting the course of justice.
His Honour Judge Stubbs KC said Ms Brown's identity had been used for another notice of intended prosecution.
He said: "It [the licence] was used for a protracted amount of time and it does have the hallmarks of being sophisticated and planned."
Mr Bell said: "The conviction [against Ms Brown] has been overturned."
Mitigating, Samuel Panniah told the court: "The defendant - by his own actions - has created a situation where this is going to be a significantly more punitive element than if he just owned up. He has demonstrated clear remorse for this offence."
The court heard the dad-of-two cares for both his mum and dad and took work as a taxi driver so he could work flexible shifts which would help with his responsibilities.
Judge Stubbs handed Sattar a sentence of 10 months suspended for a year.
He told him he must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £500 and said: "Her [Ms Brown's] licence had circulated in the taxi community...She had a provisional licence...You got away Scott free."
Source: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/taxi-driver-tried-dodge-speeding-28668130
More green taxis will take to the UK’s roads thanks to an extension to the Plug-in Taxi Grant announced today, 21 February 2024, following its initial success.
Cab drivers will be able to keep up momentum through extended funding until 5 April 2025 at a rate of £6,000 per vehicle, providing certainty to those who are looking to make the switch to electric in the next year.
Since its introduction in 2017, the Plug-in Taxi Grant has been met with enthusiasm, providing more than £50 million to support the purchase of over 9,000 zero emission cabs – supporting skilled British jobs in the car industry and helping to decarbonise the taxi fleet.
As a result of the grant driving change in the industry, over 54% (8,299) of London’s licensed taxis are now electric, with the number of electric taxis increasing by 24% in the last year alone as more drivers utilise government funding.
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said: "Taxis are a vital part of our transport network, so it’s great to be supporting our iconic black cab industry with further funding to help decarbonise their vehicles, part of this government’s plan to back drivers.
"From Redbridge to White City, it’s now more likely than ever that your black cab will be green, with the majority of taxis sold in London now being electric. The grant has been a huge success so far, and I’m pleased our funding will be continued for another year to help cabbies make the switch to new vehicles."
The electric taxi market has grown rapidly since the grant’s introduction, with sales overtaking the number of diesel taxis sold in London in 2022, marking a milestone for the sector. Nationally, more than one in ten (12%) taxis are now zero emission capable.
The government is continuing to target incentives where they have the most impact while delivering value for money for the taxpayer, which is why a reduced grant level of £6,000 has been chosen to support the market as it matures further.
Chris Allen, Managing Director at London EV Company said: "Today’s announcement is a positive signal to the taxi trade that the government remains committed to supporting the electrification of our iconic industry and provides important support for drivers for another 12 months.
"LEVC is continually innovating to deliver the latest in clean, accessible mobility solutions. We will continue to work with government to deliver for drivers and passengers across the UK."
Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said: "London’s licensed taxi drivers are proud to be leading the way in adopting zero emission electric taxis. Our members have invested record sums in these clean, green vehicles and the PiTG has played a vital role in making this possible.
"Today’s announcement provides the certainty and support hard working taxi drivers and fleets need to continue investing in the future of this important sector and delivering the high-quality, accessible service London’s iconic black cabs are known for, all whilst helping to clean up our air and working towards net zero."
Since 2011 the government has provided over £1.9 billion in grant funding to decarbonise our roads, supporting the purchase of over 350,000 zero emission vehicles.
These measures follow the department’s recent announcement that the rollout of EV chargepoints is being accelerated through our Plan for Drivers. There are now over 55,000 public chargepoints across the country, with the number of chargepoints rising 46% over the last year.
Grants are also available to help the transition through the government’s workplace charging scheme (WCS) for businesses and schools, as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the electric vehicle chargepoint grant.
In addition, the on-street residential chargepoint scheme is open to all UK local authorities, while £381million of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding is already being delivered to English local authorities.
Members of Bury Private Hire Drivers Association were in London on Tuesday 20 February.
The drivers attended a meeting with Secretary of State for Transport, Guy Opperman, and MP James Daly at Parliament House in Westminster.
They report that the meeting was very successful. They discussed at length the various issues that our trade is facing which will hopefully have a positive outcome….
A cabbie was caught with 2kg of high purity cocaine in his cab worth around £200,000 on the street.
According to the South Wales Argus, Mohammed Yamin, 53, from Newport was arrested after he was stopped by police on the A472 in the Blackwood area.
The cocaine was in a plastic bag in the front passenger footwell and had a purity of between 86 and 88 per cent.
Police also found £9,000 cash inside the taxi and a further £8,500 when they searched Yamin’s home, prosecutor Daniel Jones told Swansea Crown Court.
The defendant was found guilty by a jury following a trial of possession with intent to supply cocaine.
Yamin had claimed in his defence that he didn’t know what was inside the bag.
He told jurors he had met a man on a deserted road who had put it in his car and told him to take it to the Blackwood area.
Yamin had been on his way to deliver it to an address in Lewis Avenue in the town on May 22 last year.
The defendant was caught as part of a “covert operation” by Gwent Police.
“The prosecution say that the defendant had a significant role in the enterprise and played an operational function as a trusted courier within the chain,” Mr Jones said.
Yamin Bashir representing Yamin told the court: “It was a single trip from point A to point B.”
He added: “The defendant is a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.”
The judge, Recorder Simon Hughes, told Yamin: “You are not yourself a cocaine addict and therefore you were dealing for financial advantage.
“You were under no obligation, coercion, intimidation or groomed to become involved in this group drug trading.”
He added: “It must have been clear to you that this was a large scale operation.”
Yamin was jailed for six years and six months.
The defendant is due to face a proceeds of crime hearing on August 9.
Source: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24130992.newport-taxi-driver-caught-2kg-cocaine-cab/
New steps to improve taxi safety in Pendle are being recommended, after more spot-checks revealed problems including mechanical faults.
According to the Lancashire Telegraph, a new report to the borough's taxi licensing committee describes ‘unacceptably high failure rates’ in recent cab checks.
Councillors are being advised to back 13 recommendations, including a mobile phone app for checks when they start a shift, vehicle maintenance training, penalty points and licence reviews for breaches and extra facilities to check taxis to cut waiting times for drivers.
Any taxi driver who has lied or been ‘untruthful ‘about checks will have their licence reviewed by the committee.
Council officers believe the recommendations will reward good drivers and reduce failings.
Taxi safety checks have been the focus of debate at recent meetings. Previous safety spot-checks have resulted in high failure rates. More than 90 per cent of taxis failed in one past session.
Conservative Cllr Kieran McGladdery, a former committee chairman, has accused the taxi trade of being reluctant to adopt new ways of checking vehicles using an app.
But others like Labour Cllr Faraz Ahmad, have said the council must avoid an ‘aggressive’ approach and instead work with taxi drivers and firms to encourage changes.
Income from taxi licensing is important to council finances, so the industry needs to be nurtured, he said.
Some cabbies say more people are becoming private hire drivers because of economic pressures. But there are too many private hire vehicles, not enough customers and perhaps pressures to save money or delay car repairs, some drivers believe.
In checks last November in Nelson five cabs passed the test but 11 failed. The taxis which failed were taken off the road and had to have four-monthly safety tests.
A second day of checks was held in January. Ten taxis passed but another ten failed. Problems included tyre problems, an axle issue and other mechanical failings.
A traditional system requiring drivers to record safety checks on paper forms is open to abuse and does not ensure vehicles are physically checked, some councillors have argued. Instead mobile phone apps would force the driver to physically check different parts, it is said.
Taxi trader members have disagreed over prospective changes. Issues have included who represents local drivers and claims council officers or safety inspectors are over-officious, but these accusations has been rejected by others.
An unlicensed taxi driver who picked up two vulnerable women in Aberdare has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.
Cleethorpes taxi drivers are breathing a sigh of relief after council enforcement officers cracked down on vehicles illegally parked in designated taxi ranks.
A Barry man has avoided jail after launching a drunken attack on a taxi driver who refused him entry to his vehicle.
Jersey’s taxi service is in crisis, with driver numbers plummeting by more than a quarter since 2014, a new report has revealed.
On Wednesday 27 July, more than 300 vulnerable youngsters were taken on an all-expenses paid trip to Southport.
Taxi drivers in the town will be able to charge passengers more following a decision by the borough council on 31 July.
A taxi driver has been sentenced to a community order after admitting causing the death of a pedestrian by driving at excessive speed.
A joint operation by council, police, and DVSA officials has seen three taxis taken off the road in Oldham due to safety concerns.
Taxi drivers licensed by Mid Sussex could soon be forced to accept card payments, following a surge in complaints about cash-only services.
Two men have avoided immediate jail time after a high-speed race left a taxi driver with serious injuries.
BYD, manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Uber, designed to bring 100,000 new BYD EVs onto the Uber platform across key global markets.
Ways of increasing the amount of wheelchair-accessible taxis across the city are set to be explored to make it easier for those who need one to get one.
Cumbrian taxi drivers are fighting back against proposed licensing changes they fear will cripple their livelihoods.
Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
A Conwy Council meeting on Monday revealed a critical failing that allowed a taxi driver whose license had been revoked to continue transporting children to school.
Worcester City Council is seeking public opinion on a proposal to make safeguarding training mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers.
A proposal to increase driver, vehicle and private hire operator licences was discussed on Friday 19 July 19 at Sheffield City Council’s waste and street scene committee.
Through this collaboration, FREENOW willl provide additional benefits giving drivers up to 25% off pay-as-you-go rates across the entire bp pulse electric charging network and discounted fuel at all UK bp branded sites.
Wakefield Licensing, working alongside West Yorks Police Roads Policing unit, NPT, Off-Road Bike Team, Police Intercept Team, DVLA & DVSA, held a Partnership Day of Action at Thornes Park.