Lots of defensive/damage limitation stuff from both Dean Taxis and the council here, and the usual 'safety is paramount' vibe about it all
Dean Taxis driver who made 'inappropriate remarks and turned up to woman's home' is sackedhttps://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/no ... e-34589972The driver, who drove for Dean Taxis, has now had his licence suspended pending an investigation by Northumbria Policehttps://i2-prod.chroniclelive.co.uk/art ... _03JPG.jpgA taxi driver has been sacked from a North East firm after complaints he made inappropriate remarks to a female passenger and left her "terrified". The driver, who drove for Gateshead-based firm Dean Taxis, has now had his licence suspended by the Newcastle City Council pending an investigation by Northumbria Police.
The taxi driver was suspended after the partner of the woman involved uploaded pictures and a post to social media, which ChronicleLive has seen. The post claimed the driver began making inappropriate comments to the lone woman as he gave her a lift home, leaving her "terrified" and "scared for her life".
Later, the driver was said to have knocked on the door of the woman after turning up to her home unannounced. A complaint was then lodged to Dean Taxis, who acted "swiftly and decisively" to remove the driver from its fleet.
Driver 'dismissed on the spot'In a statement this week, Dean Taxis said: "We are aware of a post currently circulating on social media regarding an incident between a driver and a female customer that took place a few weeks ago. First and foremost, we offer our most sincere apologies to the customer involved and to anyone distressed by this situation. Customer safety and exceptional service are the foundations of Dean Taxis, and we want to provide full transparency on the decisive actions we have taken to address this matter.
"Upon receiving initial information about the incident, management explicitly instructed the driver not to visit or contact the customer under any circumstances. When evidence was presented to us last night that the driver ignored this direct instruction, we acted immediately. The driver was summoned to a disciplinary meeting where it was made clear that attending a customer’s private residence without a valid booking is a severe breach of our conduct policies. As a result, he was dismissed on the spot.
"We have personally been in contact with both the customer and the original author of the social media post to confirm that this individual no longer drives for Dean Taxis. We are grateful that the customer has thanked us for everything we are doing to resolve this. She expressed her appreciation for our quick response and shared that she is a frequent customer who has always found our other drivers to be "absolutely lovely," noting that this was her first negative experience with us. We absolutely do not condone the actions of the dismissed driver.
"To ensure all appropriate regulatory and legal steps are taken, we have officially escalated this matter by contacting both the local council's Head of Licensing and the police. We have kept the customer fully informed at all times throughout this process, including copying her into our formal correspondence to guarantee complete transparency."
Driver vetting concernsThe firm added: "We understand an incident like this may raise concerns regarding driver vetting. Please be assured that before any individual can operate as a private hire or hackney carriage driver, they must pass a rigorous application process managed by the local council’s licensing department. This includes comprehensive DBS checks to ensure they are deemed fit and proper by the council before they ever join our fleet.
"The vast majority of our drivers are courteous, highly respected professionals who take pride in safely serving our community. We are devastated by the actions of this one individual, which do not reflect the values of our team. We remain fully committed to providing a safe, reliable, and comfortable experience for every passenger, and we thank you for your continued support and understanding."
Taxi and private hire drivers operate as independent individuals and their official badges and licenses to work are granted and strictly vetted by the council. In a later statement, Dean Taxis confirmed the firm has "permanently severed ties" with the driver.
Police investigationCoun Owen Burbidge, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for inclusive economy and skills, said: “Following complaints about the behaviour of an individual taxi driver we have suspended his licence pending an investigation by Northumbria Police. We therefore will not comment further on this individual case.
“I will however say that safety is our absolute priority. Our taxi licensing standards are designed to protect all passengers, particularly women, girls and vulnerable people.
“Where safety concerns are raised or if these standards are not met, we will investigate, take enforcement action and where necessary work with the police to ensure that people can have confidence that they can travel safely to their destination free from harassment or abuse.
“We are also committed to continuously raise standards across hackney carriage and private hire drivers, our licensed vehicle fleet and private hire operators which will also take account of the Government’s stated intention to introduce new national minimum standards.”
Chronicle Live has contacted Northumbria Police for comment.
Login
Register
FAQ
