Council criticised over taxi decision
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Council-criticised-taxi-decision/article-335452-detail/article.html
A WAR of words has broken out between taxi boss John Preece and leading Tory councillors after Plymouth City Council decided not to strip a cabbie of his licence even though he drove while banned.
Mr Preece, chairman of private hire firm Taxifast, has written to council leader Cllr Vivien Pengelly calling for the resignation of licensing committee chairwoman Cllr Jill Dolan.
It follows the committee's decision to allow black cab driver Darren Willmer to keep his licence even though he continued to drive after he should have handed in his licence in April.
Cllr Dolan told The Herald she would not be resigning, and Mrs Pengelly has stressed decisions are made by committees as a whole and there was 'no way' she would interfere with its decision.
Mr Preece wrote to Cllr Dolan and Cllr Pengelly calling the committee's decision 'a disgrace' and 'an affront to public safety'.
He called for Cllr Dolan's 'immediate resignation'.
The Tory leader replied stressing the committee does not reach decisions 'in isolation' and stating categorically that she has confidence in Cllr Dolan and the committee.
Mr Preece followed this up with an even more strongly-worded letter which claimed councillors were 'prepared to be led to slaughter' by advice from council officers.
On September 5, The Herald reported how Mr Willmer's licence was suspended for three months in April, after the council learned he had been convicted of driving without insurance and fined £150, with £35 costs and three penalty points.
He already had six points for speeding and driving with a defective tyre.
The licensing committee heard how in July, the council discovered Mr Willmer had carried on driving even though banned.
They gave him a six-week suspension on top of the three months, which he must now serve.
However, the committee decided not to revoke his licence because it would not be proportionate, since there were 'no other complaints' about his behaviour.
Following this decision, Mr Preece told The Herald: "He should have lost his licence.
"We want the council to act decisively and with consideration for the public."
Cllr Pengelly told The Herald that the status of the licensing committee was 'quasi-legal'.
"I do not interfere with decisions made by the licensing committee", she added.
"I think we need to know all the facts", Cllr Pengelly went on. "Mr Preece did not sit at the hearing and hear all the facts as Cllr Dolan and the committee members did."
Cllr Dolan said she was unable to talk about individual cases.
She stressed she was chairman of a seven-member committee which listened to officers' reports and mitigating circumstances. "We make decisions on the evidence presented to us," she said.
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