Issue - meetings

To determine a private hire/hackney carriage driver’s licence.

The Chair introduced the panel.

The Enforcement Officer gave a summary of the report.

Members watched a video of the driver’s dash-cam when the incident took place.

The driver said he thought the other driver was going straight off the roundabout at the previous exit. However he realised as he was going down the slip road that the other driver was still alongside him. He could not brake as he could not tell if there was another vehicle behind him. He had had a licence for 35 years and had never had so much as a parking ticket.

At 1.00, the Committee retired to make its decision.

At 1.15, the Committee returned.

The decision was read to the driver.

DECISION NOTICE

The application before the Panel today is for the suspension or revocation  of Mr Hughes’  joint private hire/hackney carriage licence number PH/HC1054 under S61  (1) (b) Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.- any other reasonable cause. The licence is due to expire on 28^th February 2022 and Mr Hughes was first licenced by this authority on 14^th March 2016. He drives for 24 x 7 Ltd on school contract work and they have reported the issues before us today to the Council. They have not as yet taken any disciplinary steps against him but in the light of our decision today they are likely to do so.

On 07 May 2019, the Fleet Manager at 24x7 Limited emailed the Council to notify them that they had received a complaint from a van driver who was alleging that the 24x7 Limited driver had run into their vehicle and thereafter failed to stop.   24x7 Limited indicated that they felt the driving by the licensed driver was not acceptable, and they identified the driver. The Council’s Enforcement Officer made further enquiries with 24x7 Limited who supplied the following information by email on 16 July 2019:

The incident took place on the roundabout joining A12 Boreham interchange.

The licensed vehicle involved was registration FJ56 VDP – Citroen Relay.

The speed of the vehicle looks to be 15-20 mph

There was a slight mark on the vehicle which could have been caused by contact, which simply T Cut out. There was no body work damage upon inspection.

The matter did not go through insurance.

No passengers were on board at the time of the incident.

The Enforcement Officer subsequently carried out a telephone interview with the driver on 02 August 2019.   He provided the following account. The incident happened on the Boreham interchange of the A12.  The driver had come from the A138 from Chelmsford;   he had turned right at the second roundabout to head onto the A12 southbound and had moved into the right hand lane as there were no arrows on the road.   He thought this was the correct lane to be in to turn right.

He confirmed that the dashcam was situated on the dashboard in the middle, that he did not see the van in question until it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4