Middlesbrough taxi firm wins in long legal battle
Dec 18 2011 by James Moore, Sunday Sun
A JUDGE has ruled in favour of a taxi firm in a long legal battle with the council led by Robocop mayor Ray Mallon.
The wrangle over taxi trade between Boro Taxis and Middlesbrough Council began back in March 2010 when a driver for Teesside’s biggest private hire firm parked in a spot reserved for hackney carriage drivers.
The driver was asked to move by a police officer but refused and was later prosecuted and fined.
The company later appealed against conditions of Boro Taxis’ licence issued by Middlesbrough Council.
The ongoing argument between the two parties mushroomed and later led to the release of the Mallongate tapes which mired Mayor Ray Mallon’s election campaign in May of this year.
The former friendship of Boro Taxis boss Mohammed Bashir and Ray Mallon quickly turned sour as the legal case continued and disputes about taxi trade in the town escalated.
As trust broke down between the two men Mr Bashir began recording the Mayor during telephone conversations.
On the tapes, revealed exclusively by the Sunday Sun, the Mayor could be heard to calling cabbies “f***ing thick” and made a sex slur on a female colleague for which he made a groveling apology in a snap press conference.
Boro Taxis claimed Middlesbrough Council’s regulations favoured hackney carriage drivers to the detriment of private hire business in the town.
Teesside Crown Court ruled on Monday that Boro Taxis drivers would be able to pick up and drop off customers in more parts of Wilson Street, in Middlesbrough - an area of the town busy with potential custom at weekends.
Boro Taxis have hailed the outcome of the case a thumping victory for the firm and private hire business in the town.
Teesside Crown Court also heard this week Middlesbrough Council had incurred £71,000 costs as part of the case.
The council will ask Boro Taxis to contribute towards that figure at a hearing in February - an issue likely to cause further division between the two parties.
Speaking after the hearing, Boro Taxis’ company secretary Christine Bell said: “The agreement achieved at Teesside Crown Court earlier this week was the result of Boro Cars lodging an appeal against licensing conditions imposed by Middlesbrough Council.
“We are committed to make this agreement work and we look forward to restoring our former excellent working relationship with Middlesbrough Council.”
Middlesbrough Council Chief Executive Ian Parker said: “I am pleased that these matters have now been resolved.
“We will continue to work with operators across the town to enable them to provide a safe, secure and efficient service.”
The Standards Board for England is investigating the Mayor’s conduct following the release of the tapes. In the New Year the board will probe whether the leading public figure brought his office into disrepute.
http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-e ... -29971524/
