Evidence of a licensed taxi driver breaking the licencing rules on more than one occasion, has led to the driver having his taxi licence to operate revoked by Tamworth Borough Council Licensing Committee, at a hearing on 28 March 2024.

The hackney carriage licensed driver was brought before the council Licensing Committee after accumulating more than 12 penalty points, under the council’s internal penalty points system, within a three-year period and was accused of re-offending on more than one occasion.

The penalty points scheme provides a consistent approach to dealing with unacceptable conduct such as failures to abide by the council’s code of conduct, licence conditions, or minor offences when revocation, suspension, prosecution may be disproportionate.

The Licensing Committee found the driver had made an inaccurate accident report whilst driving a licensed hackney carriage vehicle and in addition, the Licensing team received several complaints about the driver’s conduct.

Tamworth Borough Council’s licensing team had cause to investigate two further incidents since August 2023. A petition was also handed in to Tamworth Borough Council by the Hackney Carriage Trade Association calling into question the driver’s suitability to hold a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver’s Licence.

Anna Miller, Tamworth Borough Council’s Assistant Director for Growth and Regeneration, said: “It is vital that licenced taxi drivers comply with the law and work to keep their customers safe.

“Taxi drivers who choose to flout the rules and law, risk losing their licence to operate and potentially risk losing their livelihood. It is rare to see licences revoked; this only happens after proven continued breaches of the rules.

“Our Licensing team take all complaints and incidents very seriously and work hard to ensure that any person breaking the law is convicted and suitable action is taken.”