London taxi driver wins fight to retain TfL licence after accidentally reversing into parked moped

A London cabbie who faced losing their licence for reversing into a parked moped has retained his licence after the United Cabbies Group (UCG) intervention.

The case involved a driver who had accumulated six points for ‘Driving without due care’ after accidentally knocking over a poorly parked moped while reversing. Transport for London (TfL) initially sought to revoke the driver's licence, a move that would have had significant implications for his livelihood.

According to the UCG, thanks to the representation by a UCG lawyer and Trevor Merralls, the UCG's General Secretary, TfL has now accepted the defence presented during the reconvening and issued a warning to the driver instead of proceeding with the revocation.

The UCG, a prominent representative group for London taxi drivers, has been vocal like other trade organisations, in advocating for fair treatment and just policies governing the licensing and regulation of taxi drivers in the city.

In a related development, TfL has reportedly agreed to engage with the taxi industry to discuss potential changes to the contentious 'three points and you’re out' driver policy. The London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC) shared contents of an email from a TfL spokesperson indicating a willingness to reassess the Taxi and Private Hire (TPH) Driver Policy. This policy has been a point of contention within the industry, with calls for a more balanced approach that upholds professional standards while ensuring fairness in licensing decisions.

A United Cabbies Group (UCG) spokesperson said via social media: “We are hearing a lot about 3 points and you are out.

“Last week Trevor our GS represented a member at Recon who had 6 points for Driving without due care. All he had done was knock over a badly parked moped whilst reversing. TfL wanted to revoke his bill.

“Due to superb representation from UCG lawyer and Trevor ,we heard today that TfL has accepted the defence put at Recon and given him a warning instead.

“He keeps his bill.”