‘Blunt’ Edinburgh taxi driver faces licensing action amidst multiple allegations made by passengers

An Edinburgh taxi driver faces a potential suspension of his licence following a series of public complaints and breaches of licensing conditions.

The Licensing Sub-Committee of the Regulatory Committee is set to deliberate on the suspension in light of three separate allegations made against taxi driver Baris Eroglu over a three-month period.

According to the documents presented to the committee, Mr Eroglu's first complaint was registered on 2 August 2023, where a member of the public expressed concerns about a journey involving aggressive and inappropriate conduct by the driver.

This was followed by another complaint on 19 September 2023, concerning inadequate assistance and ‘blunt’ interactions with a customer.

The final complaint was made on 14 November 2023, detailing more aggressive behaviour and the failure to provide a necessary receipt, which also violated specific licence conditions. 

Adding to these allegations, during a routine compliance check on 5 October 2023, Mr Eroglu was unable to produce a valid certificate of insurance for his taxi—a breach of licensing requirements. Moreover, there were noted deviations from the required dress code during his working hours, complicating his standing with the licensing authorities.

The Regulatory Services, headed by Andrew Mitchell, have recommended considering the suspension of Mr Eroglu's licence, citing that he is no longer fit and proper to hold it due to these breaches and complaints.

The committee will now meet today to decide on the taxi driver’s future.