Taxi driver issued formal warning after being caught TWICE by new speed camera in a matter of days
- Perry Richardson
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
A licensed taxi driver in Torbay Council has been formally warned after accumulating nine penalty points on his DVLA licence following multiple speeding offences.
The decision was made at a meeting of the council’s Regulatory Sub-Committee on 2 April 2026, where members reviewed the driver’s status as a dual Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licence holder. The case centred on three separate speeding offences recorded between December 2024 and September 2025, each resulting in three penalty points.
According to the report presented by the Licensing Officer, the offences brought the driver’s total to nine points, triggering a review of whether he remained a ‘fit and proper person’ to continue holding a licence. Members also considered additional concerns, including a failure to notify the licensing authority of the offences within the required 48-hour period.
The driver attended the hearing and provided oral representations, acknowledging the offences and outlining the circumstances. Two of the incidents occurred within days of each other near a newly installed speed camera on the A383 Ashburton Road, where the speed limit had recently been reduced. The driver said he had been unaware of the change at the time but accepted responsibility.
Council committee finds driver remains ‘fit and proper’ despite repeated speeding offences
Committee members noted that the driver demonstrated an understanding of the seriousness of his conduct, particularly given his role as a professional driver. They accepted his explanations but concluded that the offences were not fully mitigated by the circumstances described.
In addition to the speeding offences, members raised concerns about the driver’s lack of awareness of reporting obligations under the council’s taxi licensing policy. The driver admitted he had not been fully familiar with the requirement to report traffic offences promptly, which the committee viewed as a compliance failure.
Despite these issues, the committee determined that the driver could continue to hold his licence. Members applied the standard test of whether they would feel comfortable allowing a vulnerable person or family member to travel alone with the driver and concluded that they would.
The committee issued a formal written warning to remain on record for three years.
No separate action was taken in relation to the driver’s Hackney Carriage Vehicle Proprietor Licence.
