Torbay taxi driver has record list of complaints against herhttps://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... t-10670364A Torbay taxi driver has had her licence suspended with immediate effect after complaints of poor driving standards, sleeping in her taxi while on duty, aggressive behaviour and two traffic 'incidents'.
Members of Torbay Council’s regulatory sub-committee watched CCTV footage showing her reversing into oncoming traffic at a taxi rank in Torquay and having a near collision at Paignton railway station.
A licensing officer told them 19 complaints had been received between August 18 and September 28 this year - the most he had ever received in such a short period of time against one driver.
Councillors were told she had also failed to queue correctly and had refused to take card payments or carry some passengers. Among the complainants were other taxi drivers.
The committee decided on the suspension ‘in the interest of public and customer safety’ and said the driver was not currently a fit and proper person to hold a Torbay Council licence.
Members decided they would not allow their son or daughter, spouse or partner, mother or father, grandson or granddaughter, or any other person for whom they care, or any vulnerable person known to them, to travel alone in a vehicle driven by the respondent, who has not been named.
In a report just published following the November 6 meeting they said they had found the driver to be ‘passionate and proud’ to be a female taxi driver.
She denied all the accusations and felt there was some misunderstanding. She also told the sub-committee she had been approached in an ‘aggressive’ manner by other taxi drivers in Torquay and Paignton.
She had not been aware of the need to display a required permit at Paignton railway station, and there was no sign saying that this was necessary, as is displayed at Newton Abbot.
She explained that in the video of the two driving incidents she did not place anybody at risk of harm, and on one of the occasions there was no passenger in her vehicle.
The report goes on: “In coming to their decision, members gave careful consideration to whether the complaints could be vexatious and part of a co-ordinated campaign against (the driver). However, they noted that the complaints were received from a number of other drivers working different ranks, and other parties involved in the safe operation of taxi ranks, therefore believed this not to be the case.”
They decided that the training courses would help the driver to address concerns around ‘unacceptable behaviour and the risk to public safety posed by her unsafe driving’.
The driver’s licence will be suspended for three months, but she could get it back sooner if she completes advanced driving and customer services courses before the three months is out.
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