Minutes:
The Licensing Officer:
a. Presented the report which detailed that the license holder had held a private hire drivers licence since September 2008 and was granted a 3 year licence in June 2016.
b. Confirmed that it came to the licensing team’s attention on Tuesday 27 February 2018 that the license holder had received 12 penalty points and they were currently on the licence holder’s licence and the team was not aware of this.
c. Explained that the licence holder had come before the Committee before in respect of penalty points and failing to declare them on two occasions previously.
d. Explained that the licence holder had previously undertaken a speed awareness course.
e. Explained that the DVLA had confirmed that those who accumulated 12 penalty points did not necessary have to attend Court as it was at the Police’s discretion.
:
To revoke the licence and it be recommended to the individual not to re-apply for a new licence within two years of the date of this hearing.
· The Sub-Committee noted the Licence Holder’s statement that he was a more careful driver now and had learnt his lesson;
· The Sub-Committee noted that the Licence Holder had said that he was waiting for his licence to come back and did not know his licence had 12 penalty points;
· Members felt that the licence holder should have been aware of the procedure to report any penalty having signed the application form and re-licence forms and was then provided with the standard conditions;
· In particular the licence holder signed the standard conditions and was provided with a copy of this document on 29 June 2016;
· Members noted that the licence holder had been before the Sub-Committee twice before, on one occasion for penalty points on his driving licence and the second for penalty points and also non-disclosure;
· The Sub-Committee was concerned that there were three incidences of being over the speed limit and another offence of not obeying train barrier signals within 5 months,
· That he had attended a speed awareness course as a requirement of a previous decision by the Sub-Committee;
· There may have been passengers in the vehicle, the licence holder could neither confirm nor deny;
· A serious concern was that out of the four recent sets of points, he admitted that he notified the team in June 2016 about one set of points. However, the others were not reported to the Council despite having admitted that he had received the notification of the penalty points and paid the appropriate fines;
· The Sub-Committee agreed that it would be recommended to the licence holder not to apply for a new licence from the Council until at least 2 years have lapsed, in accordance with the council’s policy on relevant convictions;
· The Sub-Committee felt strongly that the licence holder had a responsibility to his passengers and needed to be fit and proper. Through him acquiring 12 penalty points, after being on a speed awareness course and before the Sub-Committee twice, he had not demonstrated that he was fit and proper.