Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Application – 156212
Minutes:
Members were asked to consider and determine an application for a combined hackney carriage and private hire driver licence from an applicant who had previously had a driver licence revoked by another Local Authority.
Applicant – 156212 did not attend the meeting.
Committee papers and reports had been provided to all relevant parties prior to the meeting.
The report detailed the following:
. A copy of Applicant – 156212’s application which contained a DVLA check code, showing no live DVLA endorsements.
. A copy of a revocation letter to Applicant – 156212 from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councils Licensing Team revoking his licence.
. A summary transcript of an interview with Applicant – 156212 and Licensing Officers.
The Chair introduced everyone present and explained the procedure to be followed during the hearing.
Members of the Council’s General Licensing Committee considered all of the information before them, full details of which appeared before the Members in their agenda and background papers.
The Committee were advised by the Team Leader of Licensing that Applicant – 156212 had notified the Licensing team that he would not be present at the hearing as he was attending a wedding, and had subsequently asked to withdraw his application.
The Committee considered whether to allow Applicant – 156212 to withdraw his application, however the Committee felt that as their overriding consideration was the safety of the public, it was pertinent for them to determine Applicant – 156212’s application. As Applicant – 156212 was not in attendance, despite being aware of the hearing, and had not requested a deferment, the Committee agreed to proceed in his absence.
The Committee understood that the matter before them was to determine an application for a combined hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licence as detailed in the Committee report.
The Committee heard that Applicant – 156212 was licensed by Redcar and Cleveland Council for thirteen years, which he declared within his application form. The Committee heard that when asked if he had had a licence refused, revoked, or suspended, Applicant – 156212 declared, “I had a taxi badge a few years ago which I handed back in”.
The Committee were told that Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Licensing Team had confirmed that in June 2021, they received an email from the press, which contained a link to social media showing Applicant – 156212 spitting in a 15-year-old girl’s face. The Committee heard that Redcar and Cleveland Council subsequently took the decision to revoke Applicant – 156212’s private hire drivers’ licence. The Committee were advised that the video of the incident was no longer available.
The Committee understood that Applicant – 156212 was interviewed in relation to the matter on Thursday 21 September 2023. The Committee were told that when questioned about his previous licence revocation, Applicant – 156212 responded; ‘I gave it up because it was hard to get it renewed and everything and I wanted a break from taxis, cause after COVID, customers, I didn’t want to deal with them, ‘ ... view the full minutes text for item 31