A Halifax-area taxi driver will remain off the job pending a sexual assault charge after council’s appeals standing committee denied his licence suspension appeal on Wednesday.
Navneet Jaggi, 57, was charged with sexual assault on June 25 and the municipality’s licensing authority suspended his taxi driver’s and owner’s licences the same day. He appealed the suspension a week later, writing in a letter to the municipality received on July 2 that he is the only member of his family who can work because his wife doesn’t speak English.
Halifax regional council’s appeals standing committee met by teleconference on Wednesday to hear Jaggi’s appeal. There is no public access to the city’s teleconference meetings, and the draft minutes of the meetings are typically posted online the next day.
But Deputy Mayor Lisa Blackburn, a member of the committee, told the Halifax Examiner the councillors on the board were unanimously opposed to reinstating Jaggi’s licence.
The incident is alleged to have occurred while Jaggi was driving his taxi.
Blackburn said the driver told the committee he had a camera in his taxi, but the footage was lost because the complainant didn’t immediately report the alleged assault.
Halifax-district RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Lisa Croteau told the Halifax Examiner last week that the RCMP received a report on Feb. 10 of an assault that occurred on Feb. 8 on Hwy. 107 in Porter’s Lake. Croteau said Jaggi was charged and is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court on Aug. 18.
Jaggi’s licence will remain suspended now, pending the outcome of the court proceedings and a subsequent review of the driver’s file.
Jaggi drove for Bob’s Taxi. The Halifax Examiner left a voicemail with the company. This story will be updated if we receive comment.