captain cab wrote:
Power to suspend or revoke a driver's licence with immediate effect
At present, a taxi or PHV driver (outside London) can continue to work as a taxi or PHV driver whilst appealing to the magistrates court against a decision by the local licensing authority to suspend or revoke his taxi or PHV driver's licence.
Section 52 of the Road Safety Act gives licensing authorities the power to suspend or revoke a taxi or PHV driver's licence with immediate effect where they are of the opinion that the interests of public safety require such a course of action.
Section 52 will be commenced on 16 March 2007. This means that licensing authorities can only start to use the power in relation to decisions to suspend or revoke which are made on or after 16 March; they cannot use the power in relation to suspension or revocation decisions which had been made before that date. The section applies outside London; TfL already have similar powers in London.
It will be a matter for individual local licensing authorities to determine how they wish to make use of this new power. The Department has not issued any guidance on this issue. However, Ministers will keep under review whether general guidance to authorities on the use of this new power would be appropriate or necessary.
Haven't we been here before?
