Open letter to Sir Peter Hendy TfL.
In 2009, even though a number of examiners were appalled, a convicted killer was allowed by TfL to sit Knowledge of London exams, despite claims he was a danger to the public.
Shamsul Haque, 38, a paranoid schizophrenic, who strangled his wife in 2000 was sentenced to indefinite detention under the Mental Health Act in January 2001, after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. However in 2009 TfL under the watchful eye of Sir Peter Hendy and LTPH director Ed Thompson, assumed he was a fit and proper person to drive a Licensed Taxi, as long as he carried on taking his medication (you really couldn't make this up)
Fast forward to 2012 Taxi Leaks exposed a story of a man, a Mr M Hakizimana, 41, alleged by the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, to have helped Hutu soldiers kill members of the Tutsi ethnic group during a million person genocide in 1994.
The Home office were aware of this man for a number of years and his past would have been flagged up on his CRB check. Yet again under Sir Peter Hendy's and LTPH Director John Mason's watch, this man was judged a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire Licence. He was found by a national newspaper, working for an operator in East London.
As far as we know he is still wanted for war crimes and also we believe is still driving a minicab.
A Taliban fighter in Dhani-Ghorri in northern Afghanistan told the Guardian he lived most of the time in east London, but came to Afghanistan for three months of the year for combat.
"I work as a minicab driver," said the man, who has the rank of a mid-level Taliban commander. "I make good money there [in the UK], you know.
These are just three of the worse cases, we believe there are many more.
Claire's Story:
Yet a law abiding Licensed London Taxi driver, a single mum of previous good character, has been told by Helen Chapman she cannot work because TfL have not received a DBS check for her Licence renewal, sent off four months ago.
TfL have flatly refused to issue a temporary licence which was standard practise for them and the Met Police before, for many decades with no problems.
Claire is just one many Licensed Taxi Drivers who have been made unemployed and unable to make a living, due to woefull incompetence and mismanagement.
Why are the innocent being made to suffer?
Here are Claire's own words:
Hi jim
As you know I'm still waiting for my crb (DBS) to arrive and have now been out of work for over 4 weeks.
Helen chapman told me this is due to taxi drivers getting back their DBS checks with criminal records and I s the reason I can't be issued a temp license.
So I'm now on JSA and they are currently paying me 72 quid a week. My sky and mobile have been cut off and direct debits are bouncing all over my bank account.
This month, I will receive all the fines for last months bounced DD.
If the home office does get involved and make TfL issue us temporary licenses, would I be able to sue them for loss of earnings and make them pay all my bank charges and not forgetting the dirty letters threatening me with court action because I've not kept up with my council tax payments.
claire.
Source: Daily Mail, Guardian, Evening Standard ![]()
