Taxi Driver Online

Newspaper headline says driver suspended, but looks like his badge simply wasn't renewed after a routine application. Therefore more permanent than the headline suggests, even ignoring the legal niceties.


Bolton taxi driver suspended after sexual assault allegation

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17 ... llegation/

A TAXI driver has lost his licence after he was accused of sexually assaulting a passenger.

Allegations that he kissed the passenger and asked, “would you like me to take you to bed”, were made to the police in July 2017.

The victim reported the incident to the police the day after it took place but decided not to pursue the matter.

The allegations resurfaced when the cabbie applied to renew his licence to drive a private hire vehicle.

He failed to attend hearings on July 16 and August 20.

The applicant had been informed after the first meeting that his application may be determined in his absence if he failed to attend the re-arranged meeting.

Councillors on the licensing sub-committee refused to renew his private hire licence at a town hall hearing last month.

They were not satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a licence, according to minutes from the meeting released this week.

They said: "Following consideration of all the evidence the sub-committee noted a serious allegation of sexual assault against the applicant. Drivers are placed in a position of trust and have a duty to conduct themselves in a lawful and professional manner at all times."

So an incident is regarded by councillors as serious enough to take his badge, but he was driving for two years in the meantime, and that could have been three years if he'd just renewed last time round.

Shouldn't there be a mechanism in place such that such incidents result in the suspension or revocation of the driver's badge at the time?

I always thought the police informed the council of allegations like this at the time ?

our council had told me there is ZERO communication between police and licensing the first licensing would know about an incident is when it appears on DBS

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

He might well not have told the council at the time, if at all.

I suspect the incident was flagged up on the DBS, and despite a few meeting requests the driver didn't turn up to speak to the council, and again I suspect he didn't turn up at the committee hearing.

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IDFIMH

They are meant too, but quite often don't.

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IDFIMH

No suggestion that there was even a caution or even that there was some kind of warning or reprimand (or whatever), so don't blame the driver for not informing the council. But then it turns up on the DBS?

Of course, we don't know whether the badge was lost because of the incident, or simply because he hasn't responded to the council or turned up for meetings when requested.

So police are supposed to inform the council of *everything* that would show up on a later DBS check?

Interesting...

I do blame the driver for not informing.

Most councils now want to be informed of any interaction with the police, and IMO quite rightly too.

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IDFIMH

Following the Soham murders, and the Rochdale mass rapes, everything changed.

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IDFIMH

I remember watching one of the police shows (think it was road wars) a PH driver, who was off duty, was stopped and failed a road side breathalyser. At the police station he ‘passed’ the evidential intoximeter, I think it was around the low 30’s. He was still reported to his LA and I think he lost his badge.

Interesting.

I suppose if he was in the law 30s in the police station there is every chance he was above the limit at the road side, in fact he must have been else they wouldn't have been able to take him in.

Thus there is nothing stopping the police reporting the road side test results to the council.

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IDFIMH