Gurpal Atwal, 46, a taxi driver and until recently a Labour councillor, who was ruled unfit to carry passengers by one council, was allowed to continue working in a neighbouring area despite being banned last year when he was accused of waiting in his cab outside a swimming pool wearing only his underpants. Atwal has worked for over 20 years as a taxi driver in Leicester.
Atwal's Leicester licence is yet to be suspended or revoked even though the city council is aware of concerns that led Oadby and Wigston borough council to deny him a licence last year. Loughborough Magistrates Court ruled the Leicester City Councillor was "not fit and proper" to hold a taxi licence. However, a Leicester City Council spokesman said, “When notified of a conviction we will review whether a taxi driver is fit to continue to be licensed to operate in the city. We have not yet received the full details of this case and no decision has been taken.” The contrasting interpretations of public protection, the primary licensing responsibility of the two councils, will increase concerns that lax regulation of the taxi industry poses a growing risk to passenger safety.
Last week, the former councillor was given a criminal conviction as he threatened to kill a black cab driver Kashmir Singh Gill, the father of his ex-business partner last year over an ongoing legal dispute. The threat was allegedly when the Gill was ferrying three children home from school. He was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, and ordered to pay £640 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. Atwal was also accused of racism.
However, despite his conviction and concerns raised over the safety of his potential passengers, he is currently licensed by Leicester City Council to operate a taxi. Members of the Labour-run council's licensing committee reviewed his license three months ago, and decided that he did not “present a risk to the travelling public”.
