Taxi driver banned for using Costa Coffee lid as fuel cap

A taxi driver has been suspended after inspectors found he was using a Costa Coffee lid as a fuel cap.The cabby was stopped in January as part of safety checks which revealed diesel was seeping through the makeshift lid.Several other problems were discovered by DVLA inspectors, including the tyres being close to the legal limit, the airbag light being on and a headlight not working. The driver, who cannot be named, has had his Hackney Carriage licence suspended for 24 weeks by Sandwell Council in the West Midlands.An appeal is possible.The DVSA inspector who carried out the checks said: “The clear conscious decision to fit a Costa coffee cup lid to the fuel filler neck was inexcusable." He said he was "shocked at the level of non-compliance and the blatant disregard to road safety".