Issue - meetings

The Licensing Unit Manager presented a report submitted by the Assistant Director (Localities) regarding an application for Public/Private Hire Vehicles Drivers’ Licence.

Applicant 16/2017 attended the meeting and was represented by Mr Oakes (The Hackney Drivers Association Ltd).  The Chair outlined the procedure to be followed and the Licensing Unit Manager read the report which was accepted by the Applicant. 

The report explained that the Applicant had been granted a Private Hire Driver’s Licence on 23 September 2013. The Applicant had then appeared before the Panel on 13 February 2014 when the licence had been revoked. On that occasion the Panel heard an allegation that the Applicant had approached a female Civil Enforcement Officer who was on duty at 8.22am and had affixed a fixed penalty notice to the his vehicle for parking in a suspended parking bay on Wellington Road, Bury. The Applicant had approached the Civil Enforcement Officer in an angry manner and used foul language to demand the ticket be taken off his vehicle. The Civil Enforcement Officer had tried to explain the situation but had decided to walk away due to the language being used against her. As she walked away she received a blow to the side of her head causing her hat to fall to the ground. Following this the Civil Enforcement Officer felt a push causing her to stumble forward. Assistance was immediately requested and the Applicant removed his vehicle from the parking bay and left.

The Licensing and Safety Panel had therefore revoked the Applicant’s licence. The Licence Holder then appealed against this decision to the Bury and Rochdale Magistrates Court in July 2014. The Applicant did not appear at the hearing and the appeal was dismissed. The court ordered the Applicant to pay costs of £2050.00 to the Council. The Applicant has since been making periodic repayments with £970 still outstanding.

The Applicant applied for a new Private Hire Licence and appeared before the Licensing and Safety Panel on 19 January 2017. At that time the Panel refused the licence and in particular noted that this was a serious matter and the Applicant at that time had only been driving as a Licensed Private Hire Driver in Bury for 2 months when the incident occurred. The Panel further noted he had shown little remorse for his actions and provided no reassurances to the Panel as to his future conduct. It therefore did not feel confident as to his future conduct, despite the passage of time. The Panel determined the Applicant not to be a fit and proper person.

In line with the Council’s Convictions Policy and Guidelines, the Applicant was advised by the Licensing Unit to wait until 12 months had expired since the revocation before applying for a private hire car drivers’ licence again.

The Applicant and his representative Mr Oakes both addressed the Panel and explained that when the incident that took place incident on 19 November 2013 occurred, the Applicant had been in a great deal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120