Taxi Driver Online

Devon cabbie banned after inappropriate chats with young women

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... e-11215932

Torbay school run taxi driver has licence revoked

A Torbay taxi driver alleged to have had ‘inappropriate conversations’ with young female passengers has had his licence revoked. The driver was also reported for poor customer service and aggressive behaviour.

He was stripped of his licence ‘in the interests of public safety’ after a meeting of Torbay Council’s regulatory sub-committee which was held with no press or public in the chamber. The driver’s name has not been published.

The minutes say: “In reaching their decision, members carefully considered whether they would allow a person for whom they care, or any vulnerable person known to them, to travel alone in a vehicle driven by the respondent. Members unanimously agreed they could not.”

Four complaints were received between December 2025 and August 2026, and councillors said the inappropriate comments to female passengers and minors had been a ‘particular concern’.

The driver said he had no recollection of some of the alleged comments, and did not know the ages of the passengers involved. However, the meeting minutes say members thought a professional licensed driver should be aware of who was in their vehicle and should exercise appropriate judgement in their conversations.

The official account of the meeting goes on: “Members were especially troubled that the allegations showed a pattern of inappropriate conversations with female passengers over several months. They found that the complaints demonstrated a concerning lack of professional boundaries and judgement.”

The driver was also said to have shouted and sworn at passengers before ordering them out of his vehicle. He said he had been under pressure and had lost his temper momentarily.

The driver had held a council licence for more than 11 years and had carried vulnerable passengers as well as providing school transport. He said he had been suffering from significant personal and financial pressures which had adversely affected his mental wellbeing and judgement.

He had said he was not in the right frame of mind to continue as a licensed driver and no longer wanted his licence. The report adds: “Members accepted that this was an honest acknowledgement of his circumstances, further reinforcing their significant concerns regarding public safety.

“They concluded that the complaints constituted a pattern of repeated unacceptable behaviour which demonstrated poor judgement, inappropriate interactions with passengers and a failure to maintain the professional standards expected of a licensed driver.”