An Auckland taxi driver with 110 traffic offences and a dozen criminal convictions is finally off the road, but the Taxi Federation says it has taken too long.
Photo: 123rf.com
Raj Naresh's licence has been revoked by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) - a decision upheld by the High Court in Auckland.
The court heard Naresh received 50 complaints about his behaviour.
In rejecting his appeal, Justice Brewer said "he has not been a good taxi driver".
The judgment did not list Naresh's convictions, or clarify what exactly the traffic offences or complaints were.
It revealed the NZTA had been trying to revoke Naresh's licence for more than six years, but he had won several appeals.
Taxi Federation executive director Roger Neale said it was "depressing" Naresh was able to drive around passengers for so long.
He said the NZTA needed a clearer threshold for revoking drivers' licences.
"Clearly, when you read his rap sheet, he's not someone you'd want to get in a car with," he said.
"The trouble is, if you take his living away, he's going to appeal and go after you to get his livelihood back, and the NZTA has to prove in a court of law why they did it - you only need a few people who don't agree."
Naresh will be able to reapply for a new licence in 2017.
