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.
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