Taxi driver arrested for alleged sexual assault of 17yr old passenger

Police investigating the incident confirmed that they had arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault last Sunday, before bailing him “pending further enquiries”.

Council officials also revoked the private hire cabbie’s licence following the incident.

The Advertiser understands that the teenage girl had been left in the taxi alone with the driver after her friend was dropped off at home when the alleged incident occurred.

The sexual assault suspect’s employer, Venture Taxis, of Station Road, Wath, removed all signage from the firm’s Wath base, meanwhile, after it emerged that the firm had been trading without an operator’s licence for around a fortnight.

Staff remained on site, however, and its vehicles and drivers were continuing to trade under the name of Venture’s sister company, Masbrough-based Martini Taxis.

A spokesman for Martini Taxis, who refused to give his name, confirmed that the operator’s licence of its “satellite business” had lapsed.

He said: “My brother, who runs the business, forgot to renew the business’ licence. That’s all there is to it.

“This has nothing to do with a sexual assault.”

A spokesman for the borough council reiterated that the reason for the closure of the firm in question, Venture Taxis,  was not down to the alleged criminality of the driver.

He added: “Whilst the authority suspended the driver immediately following a briefing from South Yorkshire Police on their investigation and actions, Venture was closed down because it was found to be trading illegally as it did not have a licence to operate.  

“It was discovered that the owner/operator of Venture — who is also the named operator for Martini Taxis — failed in his legal duty to renew his licence for Venture and so cannot operate that firm as a Private Hire business.”

The spokesman added: “Drivers of Private Hire Vehicles can only receive their work from pre-bookings and the operator has enabled the drivers' businesses to continue by allowing the ex-Venture cars onto the Martini books.

"This is completely legal but due to the failure of the operator to operate Venture without a licence, the Council is to review his role as to whether he is 'fit and proper' to run the Martini operation."

UPDATE: Taxi driver arrested for alleged sex attack on teenage passenger