Luton taxi driver who locked woman inside his cab loses court appeal
A taxi driver in Luton has lost an appeal after his licence was stripped for letting a woman out of his car until she paid a higher fare.
Luton Borough Council revoked Mohammad Razak’s hackney cab licence in October 2024 after the lone woman was locked inside his vehicle and was only allowed out after she had paid an “inflated fare”.
He has not been allowed to drive a cab since.
Razak appealed the council’s decision – but, at St Albans Magistrates Court, the District Judge upheld the council’s decision, ruling that “the driver’s actions had left the passenger distressed and trapped”.
They deemed Razak as being “not a fit and proper person to hold a licence”.
Cllr Hazel Simmons, leader of the council, said: “We take the safeguarding of the public extremely seriously and do not tolerate any form of violence, intimidation, or abuse, particularly towards women and girls.
“We are pleased that the decision to revoke the licence was upheld, which reinforces our commitment to ensuring that only safe and responsible drivers are licensed and that people feel safe when using taxis in Luton."