Do you drive a taxi and have a driving offence charge or legal issue hanging over you?
If so please contact us today.
We can advise on what possible courses of legal action could be taken and take up your case if needed.
If so please contact us today.
We can advise on what possible courses of legal action could be taken and take up your case if needed.
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 states that anybody who drives a Hackney carriage or drives for a licensed private hire business must be considered “fit and proper” to operate such a vehicle. Taxi company owners are also expected to meet certain criteria, even if they do not interact directly with consumers. At present, people who drive vehicles which are hired through apps like Uber are not normally covered by the same levels of scrutiny.
Local authorities set their own guidelines for taxi drivers and taxi company owners. Potential applicants should seek guidance from their local authority and obtain the correct licences before picking up any fares. The codes that are set by the local authority should be used to determine whether a driver is a “fit and proper” person.
Local authorities normally decree that persons with previous driving convictions or persons who have displayed other forms of poor conduct may be refused a licence or may have an existing licence suspended.
Local authorities normally place specific conditions on private hire drivers, as opposed to Hackney carriage operators. Private hire operators are normally only allowed to pick up pre-booked fares. Picking up passengers who have not pre-booked or offering your services to people who have not made a booking with your company may be considered as a breach of license. If you are discovered to have breached your license you may be prosecuted and your license may be revoked.
You must declare any traffic offenses to your local licensing authority, which may then choose to review your licence. If your licence is revoked, you must not continue to operate as a taxi driver or private hire driver.
The licensing process can be very stressful for those who rely on driving as their livelihood. The process should be transparent and applicants should be given the right to appeal if they are not issued with a licence. If you wish to appeal a licensing decision, you may want to seek legal assistance to support your case.
A legal representative will be able to help you to draft an appeal and they will be able to represent you at any hearings related to your case. On the other hand, they will also be able to offer advice if it is unlikely that you will win your appeal. Understanding your options can help to prevent you from spending time and money on pursuing a case that you are unlikely to win.