East Suffolk taxi drivers will now receive 3 points on their professional licence for vaping in car

Taxi and private hire drivers licensed by East Suffolk Council will now face 3 penalty points being added to their ‘professional’ licence if they are caught vaping within their vehicle.

The council’s licensing committee discussed amendments to the taxi and private hire penalty points system at a meeting earlier this year.

Currently, if any licensee achieved 12 points they would be referred to a licensing Sub-Committee. The penalty points procedure was linked with vehicle and drivers’ conditions and allowed officers to impose a sanction for non-compliance.

Following discussions, it was agreed ‘that the amendment of the council’s existing Penalty Point Scheme to provide for a sanction of three penalty points on the driver’s professional licence for vaping or failing to prohibit vaping in a licensed vehicle’ be approved and added to the conditions.