Taxi Driver Online

The second article is from today, and is nothing particularly new, but refers back to a Crown Court appeal from earlier this month, which I don't think was covered on here. So here it is

Doesn't say how long the DVLA ban was for, though.


Council's Crown Court appeal keeps unsafe taxi driver off the roads

Cheshire West and Chester Council has successfully appealed against a decision that allowed an unsafe private hire/hackney carriage driver to continue to operate in the borough.

A Chester-based licensed driver had previously had his private hire/hackney carriage driver licence revoked by the Council’s Licensing Committee following a history of failing to notify the Council of his speeding convictions and that he was disqualified from driving. There were also complaints recorded against him for poor driving standards. In March of this year, CCTV footage showed him driving through a red light and colliding with an oncoming vehicle while carrying a passenger.

The West Cheshire Magistrates’ Court subsequently overturned the decision of the Council’s Licensing Committee.

On the grounds of public safety, the Council decided to appeal to the Crown Court against this decision and the case was heard on Friday, 27 September 2019.

Miss Recorder Johnstone sitting with two lay magistrates at Chester Crown Court upheld the Committee’s decision to revoke the licence of a private hire/hackney carriage driver.

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport said: “As a result of this driver’s poor driving record, his multiple driving convictions as well as his failure to inform the Council of a driving conviction within seven days (a condition of his licence), a decision was taken to revoke his dual licence to operate as a private hire/hackney carriage driver.

“Residents and visitors to the borough must be able to have faith that licensed drivers are fit and proper and their vehicles are safe and comfortable.

“Our Licensing team believed this driver posed a risk to public safety and felt strongly that an appeal against the decision of the magistrates’ court was necessary to keep him off our roads.”

Private hire and hackney carriage drivers in Cheshire West and Chester, and the vehicles they use, must meet some of the highest standards in the country, way above national guidelines.



The reasons people complained about Cheshire West's taxi drivers

https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/ch ... s-17123029

The most common complaint from passengers was about bad driving

These are the reasons given by taxi passengers in Cheshire West and Chester for filing complaints against their cabbies.

One Chester taxi driver hit the headlines earlier this month when he was prevented from returning to his job thanks to a council appeal.

The unsafe taxi driver, who had had his licence revoked after he failed to tell the council he was disqualified from driving, was prevented from returning to his job on Chester's roads.

CWaC successfully appealed against the decision to allow the driver to continue operating in Chester.

The unnamed formerly licenced driver was stripped of his private hire/hackney carriage driver licence by the council's licensing committee following a history of undeclared speeding convictions and complaints against his poor driving standards.

In March this year CCTV showed the reckless cabbie driving through a red light and colliding with an oncoming vehicle while carrying a passenger.

Councillor Karen Shore, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport said: "As a result of this driver’s poor driving record, his multiple driving convictions as well as his failure to inform the council of a driving conviction within seven days (a condition of his licence), a decision was taken to revoke his dual licence to operate as a private hire/hackney carriage driver.

"Residents and visitors to the borough must be able to have faith that licensed drivers are fit and proper and their vehicles are safe and comfortable.

"Our licensing team believed this driver posed a risk to public safety and felt strongly that an appeal against the decision of the magistrates’ court was necessary to keep him off our roads."

A freedom of information request by CheshireLive has now revealed that there were 30 complaints against cabbies between February 2019 and September 2019.

Of these complaints the most common focused on the driving standards of taxi drivers, with 10 people flagging up bad drivers.

Seven people got in touch with the council over how rude or disrespectful their driver was, while three people complained about driving standards alongside offensive behaviour.

Fights about fares were points of contention for three complainants, and two people were unhappy over alleged plying for hire offences.

There were also complaints about a refusal to take the fare, alleged dishonesty, inappropriate behaviour and even concern over the vehicle's condition.

One complaint was lodged by a passenger against a cabbie who they believed to be acting as a private hire when in fact they did not have a licence.

Council's policy of complaints against taxi drivers

Asked about the policy of how complaints against taxi drivers are handled, a spokesman for CWaC said: "Depending on the evidence/complaint there are a number of options."

He cited the differing processes such as revocation, prosecution, suspension, warning, refusal to renew and no action.

He added: "The policy they follow includes serious misconduct procedures and guidelines on convictions and other relevant information."

Interesting that the Crown Court went against the Magistrates Court.

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IDFIMH