Taxi Driver Online

Leigh minicab driver's suspension appeal thrown out


A PRIVATE hire driver who was suspended from driving has had his appeal thrown out of court.

John Marland, aged 43, of Mill Lane, Leigh, appeared at Wigan Magistrates Court to appeal a decision made in February temporarily banning him from driving a private hire vehicle for two months.

The ban was imposed after Mr Marland failed to tell Wigan Council about previous motoring offences.

After hearing the evidence on May 2, the court upheld the committee’s decision, saying it was satisfied the council had carried out its duties and given sufficient warning.

As a result, Mr Marland will have to pay the council's £200 costs and the original ban will remain.

Julie Middlehurst, trading standards and licensing manager for Wigan Council, said: "A condition of the private hire drivers’ licence is that they must notify us of any conviction, formal caution or fixed penalty notice within seven days.

“This allows us to consider the seriousness of the offence and to decide whether the matter should be referred to the committee. “On this occasion the driver had received two warning letters relating to incidents in 2009 and 2010, and yet failed on a third occasion to make us aware of his conviction in 2012."

Clr Paul Prescott, executive chairman of the regulation committee, said: "It is important that we are satisfied our drivers are fit to hold a licence and to enable us to do this, we need to be aware of any convictions that they receive.

“The decision to suspend somebody's licence is not taken lightly, but we need to be confident that our drivers are suitable. “I’d like to remind all drivers of the condition on their licence."

source: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/nor ... hrown_out/

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