Court upholds Solihull private hire driver’s licence revocation after alleged sexual assault

A Solihull-licensed private hire driver, who had his licence revoked following an alleged sexual assault, has had his appeal dismissed by Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Tariq Rehman, 47, faced the revocation of his licence in November last year after a serious allegation was made against him by a customer. Following this action, it was reported in court that Mr Rehman became abusive and threatening towards both Solihull Council staff and the private hire operator he worked for.

In an effort to overturn the council’s decision, Mr Rehman lodged an appeal. However, on 12 August, Birmingham Magistrates' Court upheld the original decision made by Solihull Council. The court cited the complaints against Mr Rehman as grounds for their ruling and ordered him to pay £1,200 in costs.

Cllr Wazma Qais, Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “As the licensing authority we have a duty to protect members of the public. Anyone stepping into a taxi or private hire vehicle must be able to trust the driver so I am pleased that Birmingham Magistrates Court upheld our decision to revoke Mr Rehman’s licence.

“I would like to say thank you to our staff in regulatory services for the way they have handled this case and also to the brave woman who reported the sexual assault in the first place. I hope this case reassures our residents and customers that we will listen to you and take action accordingly.”