Taxi Driver Online

Evening Herald (Plymouth)

June 19, 2007 Tuesday

Taxi man loses licence plea

A torpoint taxi driver has been caught carrying passengers in his cab despite not having the proper licence.

Having been convicted of two counts of driving a taxi without a taxi driver's licence, he has now had his application for a new one thrown out by Caradon District Council.

The application by Peter James Henry Eveleigh, aged 57, of Trelawney Rise, Torpoint, was rejected by Caradon District Council's licensing panel.

In 2005, Mr Eveleigh had been required to attend a licensing panel meeting after failing to inform Caradon that he had been involved in a road traffic accident and had been convicted of driving without due care and attention.

Mr Eveleigh then failed to submit the required application, Criminal Record Bureau disclosure and full medical needed to renew his licence in 2007.

Consequently, it expired on March 31 this year.

During April, Mr Eveleigh was seen on several occasions, by both licensing staff and police, driving his taxi with passengers in it and parked in a taxi rank.

Another Torpoint taxi driver also reported that he had seen Mr Eveleigh working four days a week during the whole of April.

On June 8, Mr Eveleigh pleaded guilty at Bodmin Magistrates' Court to two offences of driving a taxi without a taxi driver's licence.

He was fined £160 and ordered to pay £125 costs to Caradon District Council.

He was also ordered to pay a £15 'victim surcharge', which goes towards providing services for victims and witnesses.

Four days later, the council's licensing panel declined to renew his taxi licence.

Cllr Margaret Allen, Caradon District Council's local environment portfolio-holder, said yesterday: "We have to be certain that the public are safe when using taxis licensed by Caradon, and local taxi drivers are generally very careful to comply with all the conditions of their licences.

"Mr Eveleigh, however, had disregarded previous warnings from Caradon, and his latest convictions confirmed the licensing panel's earlier concerns.

"We cannot tolerate this sort of behaviour, particularly where public safety is at stake."
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