A taxi driver has had his licence revoked by Wealden’s Licensing Sub Committee following a range of anti-social behaviour targeted at a fellow taxi driver at the Polegate station taxi rank.—Wealden District Council, 5 July 2016
The taxi driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received nine disciplinary penalty points because of his behaviour towards the Wealden taxi driver.
The sub-committee was then told he had already received six penalty points in 2015 after a complaint concerning misconduct over fares.
This brought the driver’s total tally of points over the limit of 12, which then requires the sub-committee to consider whether he should keep his licence or not.
The meeting of the Wealden Licensing Sub-Committee heard how the driver had harassed another driver at the Polegate Station taxi rank, who received a large number of anonymous nuisance phone calls. The ongoing behaviour of some of the drivers at Polegate Station had led to Transport Police installing CCTV to monitor the drivers at the rank. The CCTV can now be used to monitor any further complaints about drivers.
“We make it clear to all Wealden taxi drivers that it is important to respect their colleagues who are providing the same service and to follow taxi rank etiquette,” said Councillor Nigel Coltman, chairman of the Licensing Sub-Committee.
“However the behaviour of this individual fell far short of what we expect from a licensed taxi driver. It involved anti-social behaviour, harassment and an investigation by Sussex Police. We expect all Wealden drivers to behave in a professional and courteous way, both to their customers and their fellow drivers.”
The banned driver has the right to appeal against the Licencing Sub-Committee’s decision to a Magistrates Court. Only if a case is heard by the Magistrates Court can the driver be named. The Licensing Sub-Committee met on 21 June.
IMAGE CREDIT: Malc McDonald, Polegate station car park
Photo taken from the footbridge at Polegate station, looking over the station car park
