School run dual licensed taxi driver SUSPENDED THREE-MONTHS after carrying too many passengers in wrong vehicle
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
A dual licensed taxi and private hire driver has been suspended for three months after a licensing sub-committee reviewed safety concerns linked to contracted school transport duties in Leicestershire.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Taxi & Private Hire Sub-Committee held by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council on 12 March 2026. Members considered a report relating to a review of a combined hackney carriage and private hire driver’s licence.
According to the published decision notice, the review was prompted by information supplied by Leicestershire County Council concerning safety concerns during contracted school transport operations. The sub-committee heard that the number of passengers being carried exceeded the safe passenger capacity of the vehicle involved, leading to the driver’s suspension.
During the hearing, legal representation acting on behalf of the driver acknowledged the seriousness of the incident while outlining several mitigating factors. These included claims that assistance had been sought from a school receptionist, that pressure had been applied by a school security guard for the driver to leave the site, and that there had been no previous complaints during six years of school transport work involving multiple schools.
Licensing panel backdates three-month suspension following concerns over vehicle passenger capacity during contracted school run
The sub-committee also heard questions regarding the vehicle used on the day of the incident compared with the vehicle specified within the school transport contract. Members were told the contract related to an eight-seater vehicle, but a five-seater vehicle had been used after the driver was allegedly informed that only three children required collection.
Following a private adjournment, councillors decided the combined hackney carriage and private hire driver’s licence should be suspended for three months. The suspension was backdated to 22 January 2026, the date on which the original suspension had commenced. The panel also required the driver to undertake any training recommended by licensing officers.
The case highlights the level of regulatory focus on school transport safeguarding standards and vehicle compliance within the taxi and private hire sector. Licensing authorities across the UK have increasingly scrutinised contracted passenger transport operations, particularly where vulnerable passengers and school transport duties are involved.
