Not sure the precise purpose of all this, but as the latter stuff indicates, it's maybe related to the Uber thing, and the press trying to get to the bottom of it all. But not clear this sheds any light on that angle...
And perhaps the most interesting angle here is that none of the revocations involved prosecutions for any criminal offences...
Six Southend taxi drivers had licences revoked by councilhttps://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/259237 ... d-council/Six taxi drivers have had their licences revoked by Southend Council after being deemed not “fit and proper” to work in the city, new figures reveal.A Freedom of Information request shows the licences were removed between 2022 and 2024. No drivers lost their licence last year.
None of the drivers were prosecuted, but the council confirmed each case failed to meet the authority’s strict criteria for those permitted to carry passengers.
Martin Terry, Southend councillor responsible for community safety, said the decisions reflected the council’s determination to uphold the “highest possible standards” for taxi and private hire drivers.
He said: “The safety of women and girls is particularly important in a taxi or private hire scenario, because people can be vulnerable if they are alone in a vehicle at night. We need to make sure all drivers meet the high standards we have.”
Drivers must pass enhanced criminal background checks, demonstrate strong local knowledge and show they have no record of offences that would pose a risk to passengers.
“You could have someone driving who is on the sexual offenders register,” Mr Terry said. “There are all those things to consider.”
The disclosure comes after Uber abandoned plans to operate in Southend just months after being granted a licence in December. The council had imposed a detailed set of conditions to bring the firm in line with existing local taxi operators, including safety, data and compliance requirements.
Uber surrendered the licence shortly afterwards, offering no public explanation.
Mr Terry said the council had been left to “draw conclusions” about the company’s reasons for withdrawing: “No one knows exactly why they handed their licence back, but one can only draw conclusions—without casting aspersions—that it’s our high standards that caused them to back out.”
He added that the council had attempted to address the “unmet demand” for taxis in the city centre at night, saying: “The one thing we don’t want from a community safety perspective is people having to hang around late at night waiting for a cab. That is a disappointment.”
Despite Uber’s retreat, the council has indicated the door remains open if the company chose to reapply. However, Mr Terry said: “If they come into the city, it has to be on a level playing field with our drivers.
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