According to a report by ChronicleLive, an on-duty Uber driver was caught drink-driving in Newcastle city centre after being seen pouring something into a water bottle while behind the wheel. The article states that Jagdev Multani, 45, did not have passengers in his vehicle at the time but was logged into the Uber app and working when police stopped him in the city centre.
The court heard that officers suspected the substance poured into the bottle was alcohol and decided to carry out a breath test. Multani failed the roadside test and was arrested. Due to a fault with the breathalyser machine, a blood sample was later taken and sent for analysis. The results showed 132mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, well above the legal limit of 80mg .
During the hearing, the defence said Multani had no previous convictions, had pleaded guilty, and had since lost his job as a result of the incident.
DM News Commentary
This is one of those cases that harms the reputation of the entire private hire trade. Even without passengers onboard, being on duty and logged into Uber while allegedly drinking is unacceptable and dangerous.
The overwhelming majority of taxi and private hire drivers take their responsibilities seriously and understand the trust placed in them by passengers and licensing authorities. Incidents like this give ammunition to critics of the industry and reinforce why councils and police continue to push for strict enforcement and heavy penalties.
Drink-driving is reckless in any context — but when it involves a licensed driver working in a busy city centre, the potential consequences are far more serious.
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