Cork taxi driver fails in appeal to renew licence over complaints about inappropriate conversations

The court heard that he had sent a text to one of them months after her journey

The taxi driver said no complaints were ever made about him to the taxi company and that he had worked without complaint for seven years. File picture: Denis Minihane

A taxi driver lost his taxi licence when gardaí objected to its renewal following complaints from two young women that he allegedly had inappropriate conversations with them and that he sent a text to one of them months after her journey.

Jaman Chowdury of Bessboro Road, Cork, who is his mid-30s, appealed the garda objection to the renewal of his public service vehicle licence, but Judge Catherine Ryan said on Friday: “The court has heard this appeal on the refusal of the renewal of your licence. 

"I am not prepared to overturn that refusal. The licence is refused. The State have very carefully assessed the matter and has not entered into the matter lightly.” 

Garda Conor McDermot said two single female passengers made complaints to the National Transport Authority (NTA) alleging inappropriate conversations with the driver during journeys.

One young woman travelling home from Cork city centre on June 19, 2023, said the taxi driver asked her about the date she had come from in town and suggested that there had been no sexual chemistry with the man she had met.

On December 27, 2024, she got a text message from him stating: “Hi, how are you? Wondering what you are up to these days?” 

The second woman alleged that she was uncomfortable with an inappropriate conversation with the driver when she was a passenger on July 28, 2024.

Garda McDermot said neither woman wanted to follow up what they emailed to the NTA with a formal complaint and neither of them wanted to make a complaint to An Garda Síochána.

Jaman Chowdury denied there was any inappropriate conversations and he described the text as "networking". He said the passengers waited some months before contacting the NTA with complaints.

The taxi driver said no complaints were ever made about him to the taxi company and that he had worked without complaint for seven years. He also said there was dashcam in his car.

Mr Chowdury said:

I believe I am a suitable person. I am working in the industry a long time.

Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan said he had to assess the suitability of taxi drivers to work in that capacity and decide if the applicant for a licence was of good character.

Chief Supt. Noonan said the applicant in this case was open and frank in his discussions with gardaí.

“I have to assess not whether the allegations are true or not true but whether the applicant is suitable. This is a matter of whether he is of good character. Our concerns are about suitability,” Chief Supt. Noonan said.