School transport cabbie admitted using unlicensed replacement vehicle after licensed taxi broke down
- Perry Richardson
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
A County Durham taxi driver has been fined after admitting he transported schoolchildren in an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle while carrying out home-to-school transport work on behalf of Durham County Council.
Keith Lambton, 53, was prosecuted after council officers observed him collecting pupils in a vehicle that was not licensed for taxi or private hire use, despite holding a contract to transport children to and from school.
According to Durham County Council, Lambton was responsible for collecting up to five children aged between 11 and 16 from locations across County Durham and taking them to school before returning them home at the end of the day.
Officers witnessed Lambton picking up children in the unlicensed vehicle and subsequently spoke to him. Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard that Lambton acknowledged he knew the vehicle was not licensed at the time.
He explained that his fully licensed vehicle had broken down and that he wanted to ensure the school transport contract continued to operate. Lambton told officers he had already submitted an application to licence the replacement vehicle. Following the encounter, he was instructed to leave the area.
The investigation later uncovered CCTV footage showing Lambton had also used the same unlicensed vehicle to collect children on the previous day. Further enquiries with his insurer confirmed the vehicle was not covered for the school transport work being undertaken.
The council said operators carrying out home-to-school transport contracts are required to notify the authority if they are unable to fulfil a journey for any reason. The requirement is designed to ensure alternative arrangements can be made while maintaining compliance with licensing and insurance rules.
During a formal interview, Lambton admitted using the vehicle without the appropriate licence and insurance. He told investigators he recognised the decision had been a mistake and said it was the first such incident during his years working as a licensed driver.
At Peterlee Magistrates’ Court, Lambton was fined £280. He was also ordered to pay £288 in costs and an £80 victim surcharge. In addition, six penalty points were endorsed on his driving licence.
Owen Cleugh, the safer places manager, said: "The use of an unlicensed vehicle is not only unlawful, but also poses wider risks due to the lack of our usual safety tests, and it not being insured for this type of activity. Uninsured vehicles and journeys don't just put the passengers at risk; they also present a potential danger to other road users.
"We carry out enforcement of our home to school contracts to ensure that the drivers and vehicles are correctly licensed as we take the safety of our children and the travelling public, very seriously. Hopefully this case demonstrates that we will take swift action against any driver without the proper license or insurance."
