Taxi-driving Green Party election hopeful faces ban from working as a cabbie

A Green Party election hopeful who sparked an online row after recording himself driving without a seatbelt has been stripped of his licence to work as a cabbie for an unrelated issue.

Taxi driver Kamran Hussain Shah became the subject of criticism over a Facebook video he shot while negotiating roundabout at Rising Bridge earlier this week. In the footage, the wannabe councillor was heard criticising the 'outrageous' state of the litter strewn across the traffic-calming measure.

Shah and the Green Party defended the video, stating that he was exempt from certain seatbelt laws while operating a Hackney Carriage. Both told LancsLive he was driving with a customer in the passenger seat at the time of the recording.

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But it then emerged Mr Shah had been stripped of his taxi licence after Rossendale Borough Council found he was "not a fit and proper person" during a meeting on April 18. The election hopeful, standing on May 2, is free to continue operating his cab for 21 days following the decision.

Facebook video

In the video Mr Shah seatbelt appears to be connected behind his seat with the strap seemingly not across his chest while he continues to look down at and talk to the camera.

When approached by LancsLive for a comment about Mr Shah not wearing a seatbelt Green Party bosses defended their candidate and highlighted that he is exempt from wearing a seatbelt as he is a taxi driver. The exemption only applies if the driver is plying for trade - either at a taxi rank or by being hailed in the street - or if they are carrying passengers and the Green Party then added that Mr Shah had further clarified that he had a customer in the front seat at the time.

LancsLive then examined the public register held by Rossendale Borough Council which revealed that Mr Shah's licence was up for review at a meeting held on April 18. Minutes from the meeting held last week confirm that the committee voted to revoke the licence for a hackney carriage driver with the initials KS.

The minutes state: "That the licence be revoked under Section 61(1) of the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976. The Committee considered that the Licence Holder was no longer a fit and proper person to hold a hackney carriage driver’s licence."

A council source confirmed that the review which resulted in the taxi driver's licence being revoked was in relation to the same Kamran Hussain Shah who is standing in the upcoming local elections for the Green Party. The licence was reportedly revoked after Mr Shah was caught driving without insurance.

The council source told LancsLive: "It goes without saying to ask, if someone isn't a fit and proper person to be a taxi driver, are they a fit and proper person to be a councillor? Mr Shah has also previously had his licence revoked after he was banned from driving due to driving without a licence."

Appeal period

When councillors vote to revoke a licence the driver has a period of 21 days within which to register an appeal with the local magistrates' court and is allowed to work as a cabbie during this time. The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 states: "A suspension or revocation of the licence of a driver under this section takes effect at the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which notice is given to the driver."

In a statement Mr Shah said he was considering appealing against the ban. He said: "I care passionately about my community and want to make it a better place to live and work in for everyone.

"I am a licensed taxi driver and made a campaign video pointing to the lack of care the council has shown to our environment. I made the video while driving my taxi, with a passenger out of shot in the front seat, because I felt so strongly about the state of the area around the roundabout.

"I was not wearing a seatbelt at the time because the law allows taxi drivers not to wear one when plying for trade or with a passenger on board. I am speaking to my solicitors with a view to appealing against a separate decision to remove my licence over an insurance issue. I am legally entitled to carry on my trade, from which I earn my living while that process takes place."

'My Green team will clean this up'

In his Facebook video Mr Shah said: "I am just at the roundabout at Rising Bridge and all that I can see is mess, litter, clutter, everywhere. It is absolutely outrageous. I will be making another video later on today. I am showing you how messy this roundabout is at the minute. I don't think the council comes around here cleaning this up.

"It has been like this for quite some time. I can assure you that my Green team will clean this up. If I get a chance tonight I will do it tonight or tomorrow but it needs cleaning. This is a mess, literally."

Mr Shah has not explicitly stated which roundabout he was referring to in the video. However, in a further development, the Rising Bridge roundabout on the A56 is in fact maintained by National Highways and not Rossendale Borough Council.

Before the revocation of Mr Shah's hackney carriage licence was flagged up to the council a spokesperson said the authority had not received any complaints relating to his Facebook video. The council spokesperson said: "As of 23 April 2024 Rossendale Borough Council have not received any reports relating to this matter. Any reports received by the council of infringements to licensing requirements will always be looked at and considered.

"Hackney carriage drivers however are exempt from the requirement to wear a seat belt whilst seeking hire, answering a call for hire or carrying a passenger for hire."

LancsLive has contacted Lancashire Constabulary to ascertain if the video has been reported to police. Mr Shah has not responded to a Facebook message.