Cabbies with convictions licenced by East Herts CouncilPublished: 09/09/2011 09:00 Cabbies allowed to pick up fares in East Herts have a catalogue of convictions between them, it has emerged.
East Herts Council has granted licences to people convicted of drink-driving, driving with a mobile phone, driving without insurance, grievous bodily harm, assault, burglary, possession of an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour, criminal damage, fraud, shoplifting, obtaining property by deception, theft of a vehicle and disorderly conduct.
Members of the council’s licensing committee were told on Thursday that one driver was given a licence despite racking up two drink-driving offences in three years, as well as convictions for theft and disorderly behaviour.
In March, the council granted a licence to someone who had committed a violent offence at a sporting fixture in front of children and then lied about it on their application form.
And there were no licensing problems for an applicant with an attempted abduction involving a vehicle and an assault on a family member on their record.
Another wannabe cabbie with three driving while disqualified convictions and two offences of driving without insurance to their name was waved through the process.
The list of licences awarded also featured details of an assault on a passenger that caused them to fall, a serious road crash after driving without due care and attention and a "deliberate attempt to evade responsibility for a traffic signal offence".
One existing licence holder was hauled in front of the council three years in a row – for drug-driving, assault and battery – and still held onto their licence while no action was taken against a driver who twice failed to tell the authority about their convictions.
Others managed to hold onto their licences despite admitting speeding, a drunken assault and making racist comments about traffic wardens in front of an ethnic minority passenger.
Licences were revoked or refused for offences including procuring a sexual act with a minor, punching a young female passenger in the face and conspiracy to supply heroin.
Earlier this year, an unsuccessful applicant with eight offences - including drink-driving, burglary, theft, threatening behaviour, cannabis possession and failure to report an accident - was told not to reapply until August 2012.
Source; http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/H ... 092011.htm
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