A driver fined after he was caught “exceeding 100mph” — his second speeding conviction — has been handed a private hire licence.
Glasgow’s licensing committee warned Mohsan Safdar over his future behaviour but granted a licence — despite an objection from Police Scotland.
It will run for a restricted period of one year rather than the three years requested.
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A police representative said Mr Safdar had been accused of driving “a motor vehicle dangerously” and travelling “at speed exceeding 100mph” in June last year.
He was also alleged to have “failed to maintain control of the car” and “failed to maintain a safe braking distance from another vehicle”.
Updating the committee, the officer said Mr Sabdar was found guilty on June 6 this year. He was fined £720 and his licence was endorsed with six points.
The driver now has nine points on his licence after a previous incident in 2021, where he said he had driven at 60pmh in a 50mph zone.
Mr Safdar told councillors there was “no excuse for my actions”. He said he had been running late for his work with a rental car firm, which “caused me to make a regrettable decision to speed”.
The applicant said he wanted to become a private hire driver as a “secondary form of income” to finance his efforts to become a commercial pilot.
Cllr Zen Ghani, who chaired the committee, said speeding was “very dangerous” for both the driver and other road users. “Did you not learn anything [from his initial speeding conviction]?,” he asked.
Mr Safdar said he has “now firmly learnt my lesson given that my job was on the line, my livelihood”.
Cllr Ghani said it was “disappointing” the applicant had allowed it to happen a second time. “I would have expected you to learn your lesson from that first incident.”
Asked by Cllr Eunis Jassemi if he had taken steps to control his speeding, the applicant said both instances “occurred as a result of me being late for something”. He said he has received training on “how to manage my diary”.
Bailie Thomas Kerr said: “I am concerned about this, mainly because it’s two incidents, one in 2021 and one in 2022. Being a taxi driver would be a very intense job and there are customers who might be running late.
“Can you give us assurances that at that point, if there was someone in the back of the car screaming at you to get to this place, that you won’t then decide to speed?
Mr Safdar said: “There’s no situation that would ever lead me to speed in the future, it’s just not worth it.”
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