Cabbie banned for locking couple in taxi after fare row

A taxi driver’s licence has been suspended after he refused to let a couple out his cab until they paid a £25 fare for a four-mile journey.

Dharmindar Singh collected the passengers from Central Station and took them to Bellahouston Park for the Summer Sessions music festival.

Mr Singh told them it was a fixed price of £25 and that it would be more expensive if he turned on the car’s meter.

The driver was asked by the passengers if the meter could be switched on but he refused. When they arrived at Bellahouston Park, Singh locked the doors until the fare had been paid.

The customers wrote to Glasgow City Council’s enforcement officers to say they felt they had been taken advantage of because they were not local to the area.

Mr Singh then wrote to officers to explain himself. He said there had been some confusion and he had taken the couple to Braehead Arena before realising he had got it wrong.

He claimed he had not charged the couple extra for his mistake and drove them to their location.

Members of the Glasgow City Council licensing committee raised concerns that there had been no mention of Braehead in the original complaint and that there was no way to confirm Mr Singh’s version of events.

Speaking on Singh’s behalf, his representative Mr Gordon said: “My client’s position is that there had been a misunderstanding and miscommunication between the two parties.

“He anticipated that there would be a complaint made against him so he wrote a letter to the enforcement team.”

Councillors questioned Mr Singh’s claims that he had taken the couple to Braehead first when they hadn’t mentioned in their complaint.

Councillor Alex Wilson said: “The two areas sound nothing alike. Most taxi drivers will know about the Summer Sessions that happen in the Southside of Glasgow in August every year.

“My main concern is that the driver turned off his meter. This should never happen.”

It was then pointed out that Mr Singh had previously had his licence suspended for three months for overcrowding in his vehicle and overcharging.

Following the discussion, members agreed to suspend the licence for four months.

Story by local democracy reporter Catherine Hunter