A Labour councillor and taxi driver has been suspended from carrying out contract work to transport vulnerable adults and young people.
The city council said Gurpal Atwal – a councillor in Oadby and Wigston – must not be used for its jobs following a court case last week that saw him denied a licence to drive a taxi in his home borough.
The court was told of allegations of swearing and racism and that Coun Atwal used unlicensed escorts for taxi journeys for young people.
Magistrates also heard the claim Coun Atwal had “sat in his pants outside a swimming pool because he believes that’s acceptable”.
Coun Atwal appealed against the ruling he was not a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence but magistrates, having heard evidence from the borough council’s licensing officials, upheld the decision.
Coun Atwal denied he was a racist and the court was told the allegations against him stemmed from a dispute with a former business partner. Coun Atwal works for ASA Transport Ltd.
A city council spokesman said: “We have a framework contract with ASA Transport Service Ltd, to provide transport for vulnerable adults and children in Leicester.
“Mr Atwal is employed as a driver with this firm, but as a result of this week’s court decision, we have instructed ASA that Mr Atwal is no longer to be used for any of our contracted work.”
He said licensing officials would also be re-assessing Coun Gurpal Atwal’s personal licence to drive a taxi in the city, which runs to 2018.
The city council’s sole Conservative councillor, Ross Grant, said he raised concerns with officers about Coun Atwal doing work for the city council in April .
Coun Atwal said the allegations had been fabricated and he intended to appeal the decision in the crown court. He confirmed his former business partner had secured a court injunction barring him from the office of Hansom Taxis at Leicester railway station.
He said he hoped the injunction would be overturned in a high court case scheduled for October.
