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South west private hire driver handed six penalty points after catalogue of offences including handheld phone usage and speeding
A private hire vehicle (PHV) driver has received six penalty points on his driving licence and been ordered to pay £668 in fines and costs following a mobile phone driving offence.
The driver was convicted at Bath Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 10 November 2026, following an incident photographed by a member of the public in October 2025.
PC Patrick Quinton, of Avon and Somerset Police, reported that the photograph showed a locally licensed private hire driver and that concerns were subsequently raised with the relevant licensing authority in January 2026.
The report also included details of several other driving matters involving the same driver, including speeding offences on the M32 and M5 motorways.
According to the information provided by PC Quinton, the M32 speeding offence resulted in the driver attending an education course, while the M5 offence led to three penalty points and a £100 fine.
A separate offence of failing to comply with a traffic sign resulted in a £50 fine. Another speeding incident was also recorded by Community SpeedWatch, although no further penalty was specified.
The mobile phone case was heard at Bath Magistrates’ Court on 10 November, resulting in six additional DVLA penalty points and financial penalties and costs totalling £668.
The licensing authority also took action against the driver’s professional licence, imposing a seven-day suspension of his private hire driver licence.
In addition, the driver was required to attend a driver assessment and a Learning and Suitability Assessment. The authority also issued six council penalty points under its licensing enforcement arrangements.
