Issue - meetings

Members were asked to consider and determine the continued fitness of a suspended Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 who was under investigation by Cleveland Police and had also failed to attend a driver improvement course, as requested by Licensing Officers.

Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver – 140045 attended the meeting and was given the opportunity to make representation.

Committee papers and reports had been provided to all relevant parties prior to the meeting. 

The report detailed the following:

. A copy of the letter informing Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 which requested him to take a driver improvement course at his own expense due to the number of DVLA point he had accrued on his drivers licence.

. A copy of a police disclosure relating to Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045.

. A copy of a letter suspending Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045.

. A copy of a summary transcript between Licensing Officers and Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045.

. Copies of two licence renewal forms one in 2022 and  one in 2023 where Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 did not disclose he was under police investigation.

. A copy of Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045’s application from May 2015.

. A copy of a written warning from January 2017.

The Chair introduced everyone present and explained the procedure to be followed during the hearing.

The Committee Members were presented with the report by the Licensing Officer and were given the opportunity to ask questions of both the Officer and Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045.

The Committee understood that the matter before them was to determine the continued fitness of Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 as detailed in the Committee report and appendices.

The Committee heard that the driver had been licenced with the Authority since May 2015.

The Committee were informed that Cleveland Police had contacted the Licensing Service in February 2023, requesting further information in relation Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045’s driver history. The Committee noted that Police confirmed to licensing officers that Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 was under investigation with regard to his mobile telephone use, and licensing officers sought disclosure from Police for more information, which was subsequently received in July 2023.

The Committee were told that on 28th April 2023, Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 had submitted a combined licence renewal and declared that he had received DVLA points on 4th August 2022; MS90 ‘Failure To Give Information As To Identity Of Driver’, resulting in Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 having nine live DVLA points on his driving licence.

The Committee noted that Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver– 140045 did not declare the motoring offences from August 2022 within 48 hours, as required by his licence conditions. The Committee heard that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38