Taxi Driver Online

I think Tewkesbury are one of those quite keen to prosecute via the courts.

So a bit surprising that they don't have a penalty points system by now.

And also surprising that they decide to do this now will all the amalgamation stuff going on at Westminster etc


Have your say on a new taxi and private hire penalty points scheme

https://tewkesbury.gov.uk/have-your-say ... ts-scheme/

Residents, taxi drivers, and private hire operators are invited to share their views on a proposed penalty points scheme for licensed drivers.

Tewkesbury Borough Council has opened a short online survey, which is open until 31 May 2026, to gather feedback.

The proposed scheme would give a fair way for the council to deal with minor breaches of licensing conditions, without immediately taking formal enforcement action. Penalty points would be added to a driver’s licence for minor issues.

If a driver received 12 points within three years, their licence would be reviewed by the council’s Licensing Sub‑Committee and this could result in suspension or revocation.

Councillor Murray Stewart, Lead Member for Environmental Services, said: “Taxis and private hire vehicles are vital for safe travel around the borough. This scheme is intended to address minor issues fairly and transparently, while protecting public safety. We encourage everyone with an interest to take part in the survey and share their views.”

The council wants to hear from licence holders, trade representatives and members of the public who use taxis and private hire vehicles.

Take part in the survey, visit: https://tewkesbury.gov.uk/services/lice ... ts-scheme/

All responses will be considered before a final decision is made.

I'd guess not many people will visit the consulation, but this is the section titled 'background' which provides slightly more detail. And which indeed also mentions the possibility of prosecutions via the magistrates' courts:


Background

Tewkesbury Borough Council is proposing to introduce a penalty points scheme for taxi and private hire licence holders.

The Council is responsible for licensing taxi and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators. Licence holders are subject to a number of legal requirements and licence conditions that regulate how they carry out their businesses.

The vast majority of licence holders comply with these requirements, but unfortunately a small minority do not. The Council has a range of options available for dealing with non-compliance, including issuing warnings, issuing formal cautions, and commencing formal prosecutions in the Magistrates Court.

Licences holders can also have their licences reviewed by a Licensing Sub-Committee, to decide whether the licence should be suspended or revoked.

A number of local authorities have introduced an additional mechanism to assist them in dealing with minor offences and acts of non-compliance with taxi and private hire licensing requirements, in the form of a penalty points scheme for their licence holders.

The basic principle of such a scheme is that individuals that are found to have committed relatively minor offences or acts of non-compliance have a number of penalty points logged against their licensing records held by the authority.

If an individual then accumulates a certain number of penalty points, within a defined period, this triggers an automatic referral of the licence holder to a Licensing Sub-Committee where consideration is given to whether the individual remains a fit and proper person to hold the relevant licence.

A penalty points scheme enables officers to deal quickly and efficiently with minor compliance issues, and helps to identify those that are regularly not acting in compliance with their licensing requirements, so that more serious action can be considered against these individuals in a targeted and proportionate way.

The introduction of a penalty points scheme would not affect the Council’s ability to take formal enforcement action for any offence or act of non-compliance and every case will continue to be considered on its own merits.

The word 'offence' normally means some kind of criminal act, at least using the word 'offence' in the technical sense.

But, of course, even if the council is aware that an 'offence' has taken place, they don't have to prosecute. And to that extent, the penalty points scheme could be used instead.

It's like the police stopping a driver for some kind of driving offence. They may just issue a warning, or whatever.

Maybe they have lost a couple of cases and have worked out how much money it costs to go to court, and/or they have won, and the guilty party has not paid their costs.

If I had a golden rule for courts, it would be to avoid at all costs, and that applies to license holders as much as licensing authorities.

_________________
IDFIMH

Nice pun there

Anyway, the next installment...


Taxi driver penalties on the agenda

https://www.punchline-gloucester.com/ar ... gh-council

A council is expected to rubber stamp plans for taxi driver penalties next week.

Tewkesbury Borough Council's Licensing Committee has considered plans for a penalty point scheme for hackney carriage and private hire licence holders.

Now it is recommending that the council's Executive Committee approves the implementation of the scheme at its meeting on September 2.

The council held an eight-week consultation on the proposal earlier this year.

Currently, the options available to officers when dealing with drivers who are found to be committing offences or other acts of non-compliance are verbal warnings, written warnings, formal cautions, prosecution or referral to the Licensing Sub-Committee.

The report to the committee said: "It is hoped that the introduction of a penalty points scheme for hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire licence holders would assist the council to identify those who are not fit and proper people to hold licences and ensure high standards amongst all licence holders."

It added that the introduction of penalties should ensure customers have a good experience of using licenced taxis and private hire vehicles.

The report continued: "For licence holders, the introduction of a penalty points scheme would not impact on them, provided they are compliant with relevant licensing requirements. It would also protect those licence holders that are compliant with requirements, from unfair competition from those who are not."

Under the scheme, individuals found to have committed relatively minor offences or acts of non-compliance have a number of penalty points logged against their licensing records held by the council.

Examples of points given in the draft policy include:

• Sounding the vehicle's horn when picking up or waiting for a fare - 3 points

• Refusing a fare without reasonable cause - 4 points

• Failing to report an accident to the council within 72 hours - 4 points

• Smoking or allowing smoking in a licensed vehicle - 6 points

• Conveying more passengers in the vehicle than permitted by the licence - 6 points

The report continued: "A penalty points scheme enables officers to deal quickly and efficiently with minor compliance issues and helps to identify those that are regularly not acting in compliance with their licensing requirements, so that more serious action can be considered against these individuals in a targeted and proportionate way."

If they accumulate a given number of penalty points within a set period, this would trigger an automatic referral of the licence holder to a Licensing Sub-Committee. The committee will then decide whether they are a 'fit and proper person' to hold a licence.

The scheme wouldn't be used for criminal offences or serious breaches of the licence.

Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council have already implemented penalty point or 'three strike' schemes for their hackney carriage and private hire licence holders.

If it gets the go-ahead, the revised policy will take effect from September 28.

Er, not really

The issue for me has never been that these points schemes are all bad; it's the way they are enforced, how many points for each breach, and how long those breaches are taken into account before they are wiped.

If councils get it right, they can work; the problem is that quite often councils don't.

_________________
IDFIMH