Taxi drivers up in court

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Taxi-drivers-up-in-court.3873329.jp


ALMOST a dozen taxi drivers have been taken to court or given warnings for breaking the law in Sheffield since last summer.
Five cabbies were prosecuted at Sheffield Magistrates' Court between June 2007 and January 2008.

Ali Jaffar, aged 53, of Redmires Rd, Lodge Moor, was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 costs for driving without a licence.

And Sajjad Mehmood, 43, of Granville Rd, Norfolk Park, who had no insurance and provided false documents, was fined £300, had to pay £75 costs and received eight penalty points.

Three other cases involved private hire drivers illegally trying to pick up passengers.

Michael John Roberts, 42, of Chaffinch Avenue, Rotherham, was fined £100 and
ordered to pay £50 costs, while the other two drivers, who were not covered by
insurance, faced stiffer penalties.

Azam Mohammed, 33, of Burngreave Rd, Pitsmoor, was fined £150 for plying for hire, £100 for having no insurance, £50 costs, and his licence was endorsed with six penalty points .

Richard John Croft, 41, of Eskdale Road, Hillsborough, was fined £150, ordered to pay £150 costs and had six points on his licence.

In the same period, six drivers were given cautions by Sheffield Council's licensing officials. The offenders were caught during regular spot checks on taxis. Offences were not wearing badges, not having an MOT, obstructing a police officer in his duties and failing to display a licence.

A total of 94 drivers were checked from October to December 2007 alone. The information was revealed in a report to Sheffield Council's licensing board.

Read this in the Star earlier, and that is bad news for all of us in both sides of da fence. There is something about it in Sheffield Forum as well, and just before easter we don't need it going eaven quieter do we. Just makes a bad impression on all of us.