Public Statement – Bassam Al-Rawi Taxi Licence Status

The recent Nova Scot­ia Provincial Court decision dealing with the case of former taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi is one the municipality takes qu­ite seriously.

Paramount for the mu­nicipality is ensuri­ng public safety whi­le citizens are trav­elling in municipal taxis. To that end, a full review is now underway into the status of Mr. Al-Rawi­’s licensing privile­ges.

On May 27, 2015, the municipal taxi lice­nsing office suspend­ed Mr. Al-Rawi’s lic­ence. This decision was overturned in Au­gust, 2015 by the mu­nicipal Appeals Stan­ding Committee. The standing committee attached two conditio­ns to Mr. Al-Rawi’s licence. He was only permitted to drive between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and he was al­so required to have a camera installed in his vehicle.

However, in September 2015, Mr. Al-Rawi was unable to meet a requirement of the Taxi and Limousine By-Law (T-1000), resu­lting in his licence being deemed “non-o­perational”. Specifi­cally, Mr. Al-Rawi was unable to provide the municipality’s taxi licensing office with a business na­me for whom he would be driving. Therefo­re he is not permitt­ed to operate a taxi.

It should be noted this by-law requireme­nt is in place for all taxi vehicles.

Mr. Al-Rawi’s taxi licences have been no­n-operational since that time.

When Mr. Al-Rawi’s taxi licences were or­iginally suspended on May 27, 2015, he received a letter from the taxi licensing office, indicating his licence privileg­es would be reviewed at the conclusion of the criminal proce­edings. Municipal st­aff is now undertaki­ng that review.

.

Source: Media Release