Taxi driver loses licence after inappropriate behaviour towards lone female on journey from Cambridge to Ely

A taxi driver has lost his licence after behaving inappropriately towards a lone female passenger he was transporting from Cambridge to Ely.

A complaint was made about Tariq Mehmood, 42, from Rampton Drift, Longstanton, by the woman following a late-night journey in October 2021.

She said that as soon as the journey started, Mehmood made comments about how “gorgeous” she was, questioned her relationship status and when she revealed she had a boyfriend, told her to leave him and that he would look after her.

Several times he asked her to get into the front passenger seat next to him.

The woman felt so vulnerable during the journey that when Mehmood insisted on getting her phone number, she gave it to him. He then called her and told her to save his number.

The passenger recorded audio of some of the journey because of Mehmood’s behaviour and he could be heard saying that she had broken his heart when she would not get into the front seat.

Interviewed by South Cambridgeshire District Council, which licenses taxis, Mehmood denied all the allegations - including the comment he had been recorded saying. When it was played back, he claimed he could not remember saying it.

He was referred by a licensing officer to the council’s licensing sub-committee, which revoked his licence immediately. The council’s taxi licensing appeals panel then refused his appeal at a hearing in December 2021.

Mehmood then appealed to the magistrates’ court but last Thursday it concluded that on the balance of probabilities he was not a fit and proper person for a licence, and dismissed his appeal, awarding the council £800 in costs.

Cllr Brian Milnes, lead cabinet member for environmental services and licensing, said: “This highly disappointing tale is in no way representative of our local taxi trade where journeys are completed safely and professionally with rare exceptions. The South Cambridgeshire taxi trade overall has an excellent reputation.

“However, as residents quite rightly expect, we take our taxi licensing responsibilities incredibly seriously and so do not hesitate to intervene when need arises. Holding a taxi licence is a privilege and means the public are putting their trust, and safety, in our drivers. In this case, the court said that the driver did not take his safeguarding responsibilities seriously and his behaviour clearly fell well short of what is expected of a licensed driver.

“If you are in a taxi on your own, we would always recommend that you sit behind the driver. It’s also good practice to be aware of details of the vehicle and driver, such as the driver’s badge number, vehicle plate number, colour, make and model, as well as the journey date, time, and locations.

“If you think you may need to make a complaint and it is safe to do so, make a video or audio recording as this will help with any investigation.”

Residents can report an issue with a licensed taxi driver, vehicle or operator at scambs.gov.uk/licensing/taxi-licences/report-it.

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