SUCCESSFUL: London taxi reps OVERTURN TfL licensing suspension for using handheld device

Taxi representatives have successfully managed to overturn licensing suspensions relating to drivers falling foul of new handheld mobile phone policies brought in by Transport for London (TfL).

Taxi drivers in the capital have roundly displayed their disdain at new driver policy changes that could see their licences SUSPENDED or REVOKED for toting up just 6 driver’s licence penalty points.

TfL’s latest Taxi and Private Hire Driver Policy includes new policies on how TfL will treat licensed drivers and prospective licensees who receive penalty points and convictions for driving offences.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) say they have managed to support two of their members, but warn others who are not part of a union or association to think carefully about joining one to avert future risk.

Steve McNamara, LTDA General Secretary, said via TAXI Newspaper: “We are still working hard to ensure that drivers are not unfairly penalised by this policy. Our legal team are working practically around the clock to support drivers who have fallen foul of these draconian new rules and to protect their licenses.

“They have now successfully represented the first members who had their taxi licenses suspended under these new rules.

“Within the past few weeks, a member who had been convicted of holding a mobile phone and given six points by the court, and who subsequently had his taxi licence suspended by TfL, was successfully represented by our lawyers at a reconsideration hearing and is back working. Another member, who had accrued 12 points for various speeding offences and was allowed to keep his DVLA licence by the Courts, following a submission by our lawyers, subsequently had his taxi licence suspended by TfL. Again, we were successful at the TfL reconsideration hearing, and our member is back driving his cab.

“We will take whatever steps are necessary to protect and defend our members, but we are now seeing a number of drivers, who find themselves in similar situations to those above, and who are not members asking for help. One driver had been driving a cab for over 30 years and had never been a member. He told me we should help him because we are ‘all cabbies’ and should look after each other, he even offered to join! The irony that he effectively wanted to buy insurance after his house had burnt down was lost on him!“

The Changes Forced Upon London Cabbies

Under new rules, taxi drivers who receive convictions for certain offences such as using a mobile phone or who tot up 12-penalty points on their DVLA driving licence will be at risk of having their TfL taxi licence revoked.

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.