Taxi Driver Online

This could maybe benefit from a bit of editing for a press article...looks like huge swathes just pasted from the official council report

But a lot of this is pretty small beer (wearing training shoes ), but obviously a pattern of behaviour over quite a few years.

And the parking outside the Balmoral Hotel stuff - pretty sure that's been a thing for as long as I've been in the trade, thus over decades rather than years

You'd think they'd somehow manage to finally sort it out one way or the other. But, you know...


Edinburgh taxi driver faces losing licence after complaint from Balmoral Hotel

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/edinburgh-tax ... 25519.html

An Edinburgh cabbie is set to have his licence revoked by the council after being deemed "no longer fit and proper" to continue operating in the city.

After council officers investigated several complaints against John Johnstone, they recommended that the Licensing Sub-Committee make the decision to cancel his licence during next week's meeting.

The meeting's agenda states that several passengers have made official complaints against Mr Johnstone as well as instances of non-compliance with licence conditions also being investigated.

Over the course of 12 months, the council say four complaints were received from members of the public in relation to Mr Johnstone's behaviour while undertaking licensed taxi driver work.

Three of these complaints alleged inappropriate parking outside the Balmoral Hotel. In addition, when the subject of a routine compliance check by enforcement officers, Mr Johnstone was unable to produce his taxi driver identity card and was dressed inappropriately, these both being breaches of his licence conditions.

In November 2020, concerns were also raised by Police Scotland on the basis of aggressive behaviour and repeated inappropriate parking outside the plush Balmoral Hotel in the city centre.

At the time, the committee decided to take no further action. In October 2021 the Committee considered a further request for suspension of licence from Police Scotland on the basis of disregard for the safety of other road users and repeated inappropriate parking outside the Balmoral Hotel by Mr Johnstone.

The committee issued Mr Johnstone with a final warning with respect to his future conduct.

On February 7, 2023, a routine compliance check on taxi and private hire vehicles within the city centre found Mr Johnstone parked inappropriately outside the Balmoral Hotel. Mr Johnstone was asked to produce his identify card, which he was unable to do.

Officers also noted that Mr Johnstone was not complying with the required standards of dress, in that he was wearing training shoes.

On June 9, 2023, the Licensing Service received a complaint from a Balmoral Hotel concierge which alleged that while inappropriately parked outside the hotel Mr Johnstone had displayed aggressive behaviour while acting as a taxi driver. This complaint was put to Mr Johnstone, and he replied by email on June 13, 2023, to deny the allegation.

On June 13, 2023, a member of the public contacted the Licensing Service regarding concerns about a journey made in a licensed taxi being driven by Mr Johnstone. The basis of the complaint was that Mr Johnstone had initially failed to deliver the passenger to her destination - stopping at Lawnmarket instead of the Castle Esplanade - and had used inappropriate language when she insisted on being taken closer to the specified destination.

On February 6, 2024, a member of the public contacted the Licensing Service alleging that Mr Johnstone had displayed poor driving behaviour while inappropriately parked outside the Balmoral Hotel while acting as a taxi driver. This complaint was put to Mr Johnstone, and he replied by email on February 8, 2023, to deny the allegations.

The fourth complaint was made just weeks later, on February 18, when a concierge at the Balmoral Hotel yet again raised concerns about Mr Johnstone's conduct while inappropriately parked outside the premises. The complaint alleged poor driving behaviour by the driver and it was once again denied by Mr Johnstone.

The report's recommendation states: "The Directorate is of the view that a hearing under paragraph 11 of the 1982 Act is required given that there are now four separate complaints about Mr Johnstone’s conduct in relation to driving behaviour and passengers, and the apparent breach of licence condition detected during a routine compliance check.

"It is noted that previous corrective advice does not appear to have worked. It is recommended that the licence is suspended on the grounds that Mr Johnstone is no longer a fit and proper person to be the holder of the licence and/or that a condition of licence has been breached."

I suspect the hotel was miffed he was taking work from their approved supplier and/or approved backhander.

It is small beer, but the fella has been given warnings so he is a bit of a numpty for not adhering to them.

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IDFIMH

Not sure about that, Sussex. May be a factor, and there's no official rank there, but HCs have been using it for years, and it's more an illegal parking issue, I suspect. This is from 2016, and think it's been going on since long before that. And this probably just tip of large iceberg :


Two taxi drivers have licences suspended over Balmoral Hotel ranking

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... ing-591609

TWO taxi drivers in the Capital have had their licences suspended for illegally ranking outside the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street.

Police have been carrying out enforcement action since 2016 to identify drivers waiting outside the hotel despite the absence of an official taxi rank and said two individuals have been charged on more than four occasions.

Now the city council has suspended the pair’s taxi licences for a month after police reported them to the licensing sub-committee.

The police said their activity around the Balmoral followed complaints from the hotel and members of the public.

Taxi drivers who were charged on more than two occasions were warned by the police cab inspector and advised any further charges would result in them being reported to the committee.

Inspector Scott Casey from the City Centre Policing Team said: “City Centre Community Officers have been conducting patrols outside the Balmoral Hotel in response to complaints about taxi’s ranking illegally.

“Illegal ranking causes significant traffic congestion in the area and is a frustration for other road users and members of the public.

“We will continue with our enforcement action and any other taxi drivers committing these offences will be dealt with in the same manner.”

Inspector Keith Mailer from the police cab office added: “It is essential taxi drivers comply with the conditions of their licence.

“Police Scotland has undertaken appropriate education and enforcement of this issue but unfortunately a small number of taxi drivers have continued to illegally rank despite ultimately being sanctioned by the court.

“This leaves us with no other alternative than to report them to the licensing sub-committee.”

Licensing sub-committee convener Councillor Cathy Fullerton said: “This decision sends a message to the small minority of taxi drivers who continue to break the conditions of their licence. Illegal ranking not only obstructs traffic but can put customers and other road users at risk.

“As a committee we take the issue of illegal ranking very seriously and will always take the appropriate action.”

And whether or not it interferes with the hotel's preferred supplier, no doubt the marked loading bay will be used for their own comings and goings, and for customers using their own transport, or PHVs. And the HCs will be getting in the way. This is the latest Streetview:

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9531876 ... ?entry=ttu