Banned cabbie cleared to return: Council lifts taxi suspension but issues stern warning
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A dual-licensed private hire and hackney carriage driver has been allowed to return to work after Manchester City Council’s Licensing and Appeals Sub-Committee lifted his suspension following a period of disqualification.
The case was heard on 16 February 2026 where the panel considered a report from the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing concerning driver known as ‘MA’, who had been disqualified for six months under a TT99 ‘totting up’ conviction after accruing 12 penalty points within three years.
The disqualification, which ran until 1 March 2026, fell within the council’s classification of a major traffic offence. Under the authority’s guidelines, applications are generally refused unless a period of three years free from conviction has elapsed from restoration of a DVLA licence.
The driver told the hearing he had been of no fixed abode at the time correspondence was sent requesting driver details in relation to offences. He said he had attempted to have the convictions reopened but was informed by the court that he was out of time. When questioned, he accepted it was his responsibility to maintain an up-to-date address, particularly as a licensed driver.
Manchester City Council lifts suspension but issues formal warning
The panel noted that MA had disclosed the convictions to the Licensing Unit and had not sought to mislead the authority. Members also took into account that he had been unable to work for almost six months due to the driving ban, which they described as effectively operating as a suspension of his taxi licences.
In departing from the usual guidelines, the Sub-Committee resolved to lift the suspension from 1 March 2026 and allow MA to resume driving. A formal warning was issued as to future conduct, with members emphasising the need to maintain a valid and accessible correspondence address at all times.
