Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies' licences suspended after they break rules

TWO drivers have had their licences suspended as a council launches a crackdown on cabbies who break the rules. The drivers have been suspended for 28 days after they were caught parking outside the marked rank at the Waterglade Park, in Clacton.

It is the first time Tendring Council has suspended a taxi licence using a three-strikes rule, where drivers are called before the licensing committee on the third occasion they are caught breaking the rules.

Nigel Brown, the council’s communications manager, said: “These drivers were given an informal warning, followed by a second warning, face to face, which was backed up with a letter.

“On the third occasion, they received a letter to say they were required to go before the council’s licensing committee and members decided to take the action of suspending them.” The drivers have 21 days from the date of their suspension to appeal.

Mr Brown added one other taxi driver was on a third warning and due to go before the committee, 12 were on two warnings and 42 were on one warning. The new system was annouced in the council’s newsletter in February. Evidence of parking was gathered by officers using a digital camera.

The suspensions have been criticised by Alan Kirkham, chairman of Tendring Taxi Drivers’ Association. He said: “A suspension of 28 days is too long. “For a taxi driver, 28 days is a long time. It could break him. It could make him finished for good.”

Mr Kirkham said drivers had little choice but to break the rules, because of the difficulty in finding legitimate parking spaces in the town. He said at least one of the taxi drivers was appealing against the ban.

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IDFIMH

I agree with the action but 28 days is very harsh. Would 3-7 days be a bit fairer for a first suspension?

I think 28 days for parking violations is a f***ing disgrace, and only civil servants backed up by clueless councillors would think otherwise.

Clear breach of their powers, and I hope they die soon.

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IDFIMH

OTT you get fined £30 for illegal parking. However, how many times do you have to tell a driver not to do it, to get him to stop???

There's nothing wrong with being suspended for 28 days.... specially if the licensing officer suspends them while they are on their annual month's holiday

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I think it's a great idea I mean taxis don't have almightly right to park wherever they please. They've already had 2 warnings can't they take the hint

I think 14 days should be the maximum though

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

How does the driver feed his family during the 28 days?

How does the driver pay his mortgage during the 28 days?

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IDFIMH

If suspension was automatic I'd give full sympathy to the drivers and I'd think it was a disgrace that the council behaved in the way they did. These drivers have had warnings and chose to ignore them. This is the consquence of their actions. These are grown men so hopefully they will learn from their mistakes if for no other reason than to save them from the ear bashing they're getting from the Mrs cos they can't feed them.

I do think 28 days is a bit long though

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

detain them for 28 days, like they do them terrio...

A driver before now (an ordinary motorist) had 31 points on his license, and the reason they let him still drive with a suspend-able situation was because the penalty was likely to cause extreme hardship to his family.

The fact that they have some ar$e taking photographs (assuming they are stills) is not proof that they are parking or parking illegally! Regardless of the offence the L.A is punishing not just the culprit but potentially a whole family which is a lot harsher than a court would do, that cannot be right.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

It's not right, and the Tory council are a shower of s***.

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IDFIMH

Is it legal what the council is doing, and has it been challenged by drivers appealing to the courts

I'm still not sure the council have powers to use suspension as a punishment, in itself.

But I certain this punishment is out of proportion, and thus illegal.

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IDFIMH