Bolsover taxi driver loses licence after failing to notify authorities of speeding offences

Bolsover District Council has revoked the licence of a local taxi driver following a series of speeding offences and have ordered him to pay £1,000 in court costs.

The situation unfolded when the driver Mr Best, 61, reported a speeding offence in September 2023. However, a comprehensive review of his DVLA licence revealed an unreported additional offence. This was not the first instance of non-disclosure for Mr Best, who had previously received a written warning in 2020 for a similar breach.

Mr Best faced the Licensing Sub-Committee on 1 February 2024, where his fitness to hold a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driver’s Licence was scrutinised.

The committee considered his history, noting five speeding offences since 2014, with two occurring within six months of each other. The committee unanimously decided that Mr Best was no longer a ‘fit and proper’ person to drive a taxi, prompting him to appeal.

The appeal was heard at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court on 22 May 2024. Despite Mr Best’s arguments that some convictions were ‘spent’ and his claim of being a safe driver, the court upheld the council's decision, emphasising that taxi drivers must maintain higher driving standards than the average motorist.

The council’s policy that convictions remain relevant in taxi licensing cases was pivotal in this decision.