Investigation reveals dodgy GPs getting cash to help minicab and Uber drivers fake medical test over fitness to drive
Three doctors caught selling faked all-clear form — required to get an official cab licence - but one did not bother with tests
ROGUE GPs are coining it from minicab and Uber drivers by lying on vital forms about their fitness to carry passengers.
Three doctors caught by The Sun were happy to sell a faked medical all-clear — required to get an official cab licence.
They were meant to have performed check-ups. But one did not bother with any tests at all.
Tonight the General Medical Council was horrified.
Chief executive Niall Dickson said: “We will investigate the evidence gathered by The Sun as a matter of urgency.”
A Sun man posing as a would-be driver visited three cab firms across London who knew which doctors he needed to see.
Our man joined a queue at the surgery of Dr Ashraful Haque Mirza in Morden, South London.
A driver on his way out told him: “I live in Southall — my GP there said £150 and I have to wait eight days. Here it takes five minutes and £50.
“You see that fella going in before you? He’s here for the same thing.”
The doctor hurriedly filled out the undercover reporter’s forms, simply making up the results of blood pressure and eyesight tests.
Like the other GPs we nailed he ticked a box saying he had access to our man’s full medical history, which was a lie.
RELATED STORIES
At one point the reporter told him: “When I get tired my vision gets a bit blurry.”
Dr Mirza, 42, said: “Right, OK. Fine”
He carried on filling in the form before handing it over, saying: “They won’t give you any problems with that.”
Our man paid him £50.At Brentford Station Cars in West London the minicab centre brought in a doctor.
Our man was 21st in line to see Dr Abdi Greek, 50, whose surgery is in Hounslow.
He never asked about any illnesses and took £80.
Another doctor in Barking, East London, also agreed to sign off our man’s forms and falsely declared he had seen his medical history.
Transport for London, which requires all 100,000 private hire and Uber drivers in the capital pass the medicals, said: “We take all allegations of fraud very seriously and will investigate.”
Uber said: “The Sun should be commended for this expose.
“There should be tough action against any GP who has falsified medical certificates.
“Any test centres which have been found to cheat the system should be closed down.”
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, also praised us for lifting the lid.
Labour MP and Transport Committee member Graham Stringer said: “This is a serious scandal which is putting the public at risk.”
Dr Greek, from Hayes, West London, claimed he “always” asked candidates for medical histories.
When informed we had secretly filmed him his response was: “OK, that’s fine.”
Dr Mirza, of Streatham Hill, South London, refused to comment.
DRIVERS' LINGO QUIZ SWIZZ
TESTS to check cabbies know English and can read road signs are also being rigged, The Sun’s probe found.
The written exams are called Topographical assessments.
ZedCarZ minicabs in Surbiton, South West London, is one of more than 100 accredited centres across the capital that conducts them.
Owner Zed Juneja fills answers in for drivers at his computer and prints certificates off, giving them an official Public Carriage Office stamp.
He told our undercover reporter: “The test is nothing. Don’t worry, I’m going to do all the paperwork for you.”
At another minicab firm our man was handed the answers by the examiner for £80.
The charge to similarly cheat at New Apollo Minicabs in East Ham, East London, was £100.
Transport for London introduced the English language test for private hire and Uber drivers last month.