A Glasgow cab driver caught travelling at 80mph in a 50mph zone has argued it was because he wasn’t used to driving an automatic, a meeting has heard.
Asif Naeem, 44, who received three penalty points and a fine over the speeding on the M74, got his private hire car driver’s licence renewed this week after councillors weighed up his case.
The licensing and regulatory committee heard Mr Naeem did not notice his speed had crept up during the incident in September last year.
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Councillors were also told that Mr Naeem had just switched from a manual to an automatic - which he wasn’t used to.
Questioning Mr Naeem over the incident, committee chair SNP councillor Alex Wilson said: “You took it from 50 to 80 in an unfamiliar car.
“It is easier to have an automatic car - you don’t have much to do.”
Councillor Wilson said Mr Naeem should have been more careful if he was unfamiliar with the car.
He added: “I have grave concerns.”
Councillor Jim Kavanagh, Labour, said the limits are there to make roads safer for users.
Fellow Labour councillor Hanif Raja reminded Mr Naeem his licence is “very serious.”
The committee heard Mr Naeem also was a takeaway delivery driver.
Councillors decided to renew the driver’s licence for a restricted period of one year and issued a warning regarding his future conduct and failure to comply with conditions of licence.
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