The Public Protection Sub Committee convened to address several Hackney Carriage/Private Hire matters, focusing on the conduct and licensing of drivers. The committee addressed nine applications, resulting in a licence revocation, a licence suspension, the granting of a licence, written warnings for five drivers, and the deferral of a hearing pending further legal proceedings.

Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Matters

The Public Protection Sub Committee reviewed nine applications related to Hackney Carriage/Private Hire matters.

Application 1

The Sub Committee was asked to determine whether a driver remained a fit and proper person to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence after a complaint was received stating that he was abusive and threatening to a parking enforcement officer. The committee resolved to revoke the driver's Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's licence.

The driver's representative stated that the driver regretted his actions, explaining that he had been having a difficult day. The driver apologised to the witness for his conduct, after watching a video of the incident.

The parking enforcement officer for Cardiff Council explained that he had issued a ticket to an unattended vehicle on Albany Road for double parking. The driver challenged him and started shouting, leading the officer to activate his body camera. The video showed the driver calling him a racist and a coloniser, and threatening him for issuing the ticket. The officer stated that the driver's behaviour was shocking, even though he was used to verbal abuse.

Application 6

The Sub Committee was asked to determine whether a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue holding a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence given that he had twelve penalty points on his driving licence. The committee resolved to suspend the driver's Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence for 7 days.

The driver explained that he had received six points and a fine in May for failing to provide information about the identity of the driver, as he did not see a letter sent to his family's house while he was not living there. He also received a ticket on Manor Way for speeding in an area where the speed limit had recently changed, and another offence for speeding.

The driver's representative argued that the driver had been upfront and honest about what had happened, and reported his offences to the authority as soon as possible, and was responsible enough to continue driving taxis.

Application 7

The Sub Committee was asked to determine whether a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue holding a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence given that he had 9 penalty points on his driving licence. The committee resolved to defer the hearing until the resolution of a pending speeding offence.

The driver's solicitor explained that the driver had received a fine and three points for misjudging a light, and had exceeded the speed limit on two occasions on Newport Road near Rumney, where the limit had changed from 30mph to 20mph. The driver stated that he had been driving since 2001, and had only been before the Sub Committee once in that time, when his licence had been revoked but overturned on appeal.

The driver's solicitor added that the driver had another speeding offence pending, which would go to court in September, and he would plead special hardship reasons to be allowed to continue driving.

Application 9

The Sub Committee was asked to consider an application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence, given that the applicant had a motoring conviction contrary to the guidance. The committee resolved to grant the application for a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence.

The driver explained that he had made a mistake some time ago when he was new in the country, and got the wrong type of insurance for his car while working as a delivery driver for Amazon. He had now sorted this out and had the correct business insurance, and wanted to drive taxis in addition to doing deliveries.

Applications 2, 3, 5 and 8

In Applications 2, 3, 5 and 8, the Sub Committee considered whether drivers remained fit and proper persons to hold Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licences due to the accumulation of penalty points on their driving licences. In each case, the committee resolved to issue a written warning to the driver.

In Application 3, the hearing took place in the absence of the driver, and the committee also required the driver to complete the 'Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver' BTEC course within twelve months.

In Application 5, the driver stated that he had been a taxi driver for 20 years with no issues or complaints, and that driving his taxi was his only source of income. He had received nine penalty points, three of which were for a speeding offence on Manor Way, where he did not realise the speed limit had recently changed from 40mph to 30mph. He added that the other six points were for failing to give information as to the identity of the driver, as he believed his car was in the garage at the time, but he had been unable to prove this.

In Application 8, the driver explained that he had been driving for a long time and had collected nine points recently: three for exceeding a 30mph limit and six for using a mobile phone while driving. He explained that the speeding offence was on Newport Road near St Mellons, where he had been caught going at 26mph in a 20mph zone that he thought was a 30.

Application 4

The Sub Committee was asked to determine whether a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue holding a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver's Licence given that he had 15 penalty points on his driving licence and was disqualified from driving for six months. The committee resolved to issue a written warning to the driver, and require him to complete the 'Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver' BTEC course within six months.

A friend of the driver explained that he had been licensed since 2001 but had now been disqualified from driving for six months after accruing 15 points. He was very regretful and had informed the council and returned his badges immediately. He added that if he got his licence back in December, he would take extra precautions to drive especially safely. He was 65 years old but was still keen to get back to work and not rely on benefits, as he did not have any other sources of income and had five children to look after.

Members queried the circumstances of the offences, and heard that two of them were in the same location on Newport Road near St Mellons, where a 30mph zone changed suddenly to 20mph. He had been caught going at 27mph and then 30mph by the same camera.