Issue - meetings

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

The Licensing Officer gave a summary of the report.

The driver had first been granted a 3 year private hire/hackney carriage driver’s licence by this authority on 16 June 2016. His licence came up for renewal on 31 May 2019. He submitted a new medical and DBS certificate as required, however although the new certificate showed no new convictions since the previous one issued in 2015, following the introduction of a new ‘policy on deciding the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades’, which came into effect on 1 May 2019, the driver no longer met the licensing standards for new drivers. This was because of conviction 6 for driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol on 19 September 2011 for which he was given a 12 month ban. It was open to Members to depart from their policy if it was reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

The driver said he had driven for his firm for over 3 years and had a letter of support from his boss. He had played a role in establishing better behaviour of a child with extremely challenging needs and behaviour who he drove to school. The sooner he could get back to driving her, the better it would be for her.

At 10.15, the Committee retired to make its decision.

At 10.20, the Committee returned.

The decision was read to the driver.

DECISION NOTICE

The application before the Panel today is for the renewal of the driver’s joint private hire/hackney carriage licence number PH/HC1648 under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. The licence expired on 31^st May 2019 and the driver was first licenced by this authority on 16^th June 2016. He is employed by 24 x 7 (Hants) Ltd on school contract work – so far as we know his licence was granted in order that he might take up this role and we have in the papers before us a letter from them supporting this application.

We have had the opportunity of reading the officer’s report in this case, a copy of which has been served on the driver, and we have also seen, as has he, the background documents annexed thereto, including a DBS check dated 10^th May 2019 and showing an old conviction for driving with excess alcohol dated 19^th September 2011 for which he received a 12 month disqualification from driving.

Though the driver has been licensed by UDC for three years, this was under the under the Council’s old policy, a copy of which we have seen. Under this, a person who had been disqualified from driving for any reason would not be granted a licence until 3 years after the expiry of the disqualification, and the driver met this requirement in June 2016.  However, the Council’s new policy states at point 2.26 that “where an applicant has a conviction for drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs, a licence will not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2