Taxi Driver Online

Obvious question is - what took them so long?


Bolton taxi driver clocks up more than 80 complaints

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/26 ... omplaints/

A taxi driver has been stripped of his licence after clocking up more than 80 complaints over “sexual comments”, “threatening violence” and more.

The unnamed driver was brought before a behind closed doors meeting of Bolton Council’s licensing committee at town hall last month.

Newly released minutes show that 83 complaints had been made against him over a wide range of misconduct allegations.

The documents said: “The licence holder had no understanding of the seriousness of this or the risk that his actions were presenting to members of the public.

“The licence holder held no remorse and failed to take any responsibility for his actions.

“Private hire operators had removed the licence holder from their platforms due to the seriousness of the complaints.”

The driver’s alleged misconduct was set out in a report presented by council director of place Jon Dyson.

The included complaints about sexual comments and behaviour as well as demanding cash and additional payments.

The driver was also alleged to have prolonged or extended the route on journeys and to have refused to take passengers because they had children, luggage or belongings with them.

Complaints were also made about verbal disagreements and about the driver cancelling journeys without an appropriate reason.

They were further made about the driver allegedly completing bookings outside of what a private hire driver operator’s licence requirement.

There were yet more complaints about the driver being aggressive, threatening violence and smoking in his licensed vehicle.

The driver attended the meeting and was given 15 minutes to present his case, which was not accepted by the committee.

The documents said: “The evidence provided in the report which contradicted the driver’s version of events, namely, the screenshot from the booking acceptance screen on the booking application, the snail trails for two airport bookings, where the driver states the passengers did not show, but the passengers claim the journeys took place outside the booking application, the subsequent bookings and location of the driver following these bookings.”

Committee member Cllr Toby Hewitt, of Astley Bridge, moved that the driver’s private hire licence be revoked with immediate effect in the interests of public safety.

This was seconded by Cllr Andrea Finney, of Horwich North.

The committee voted unanimously to strip the driver of his licence.

And neither did Bolton Council, by the sounds of it


I'd guess the explanation here is that he'd been through several 'platforms', but the complaints were dealt with internally rather than escalating to the council, and he was just dumped by them all, basically.

But obviously a point has come when the council has become involved, and all the past stuff has come to light.

So the 80 complaints unearthed won't have gradually built up on the council's records, as opposed to the individual platforms.

Or something like that

We had a driver here that had nineteen complaints against him in two years, it was only when he assaulted a passenger (he claimed he was pushing him away from him) that the council acted. The police decided to take no further action but our LA finally did. ( a twelve month suspension and he was back straight away. )

Postcode lottery, X-ray, innit?

I mean, drivers like that continually get away with stuff.

Yet under other licensing authorities, one instance of plying for hire, or an assistance dog thing, or whatever, and the driver is prosecuted, branded a criminal, and revoked.

Anyway, these are the official minutes here (fourth and final case on the document). A wee bit more detail, but still no light shone on how he came to amass 83 complaints before the council took action

https://bolton.moderngov.co.uk/document ... 6%20ab.pdf

sounds like a wrong un the trade is well rid of but how did it get to 83 ? he should have been investigated after the first 2 or 3

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

83 complaints against one driver are evidence of a council turning a blind eye.

The trade is well rid of this individual, but one has to ask why those paid to enforce licensing laws are still in their jobs.

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IDFIMH