SIX POINTS AND YOU’RE OUT: TfL to review controversial taxi policy with trade reps
Transport for London (TfL) have scheduled a meeting with taxi trade representatives to review a controversial new licensing policy that could see cabbie licences revoked or suspended when a driver has just SIX penalty points to their name.
Taxi driver representatives queried why taxi drivers risk having their taxi licence REVOKED, yet a new applicant for a London bus driver can APPLY for a job with the same six points on their licence.
Taxi drivers in the capital have shown widespread dismay at a new driver policy change that could see their licences SUSPENDED or REVOKED for toting up just 6 driver’s licence penalty points.
The changes include:
For an offence of driving without reasonable consideration, if the courts award 6 or more points, the penalty from TfL could be a licence revocation. If the courts gave less than 6 points TfL could issue a three-month licence suspension.
For an offence of using a handheld mobile phone, which carries a mandatory 6 points TfL could revoke a licence.
More than one conviction for a major driving offence within the last five years would merit a licence refusal and no further application would be considered until at least seven years after the most recent conviction.
Any driver accumulating nine or more penalty points will receive a warning that incurring additional points is likely to result in the loss of their taxi licence.
Licensed taxi drivers who accumulate 12 penalty points on or after 20 December 2021 will have their taxi licence suspended for six months regardless of whether they are disqualified from driving and lose their DVLA driving licence or not.
Steve McNamara, LTDA General Secretary, said: “I recently had a face to face meeting with the new(ish) Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, and the new Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, where the new TfL driver licensing policy of '6 points and you are out' was top of the agenda.
“As a result TfL asked us to submit our concerns, with specific examples. They have now scheduled a meeting to review the policy with us.”
