TOO SOON: Bristol City Council REJECTS applicant’s Uber driving plans after ‘major’ fraud conviction

Bristol City Council have rejected the private hire licence application of a man planning to become an Uber driver due to a ‘major’ fraud conviction occurring too soon.

Councillors on the Public safety and protection sub-committee dismissed the application as the man was jailed for 18 months for his part in what was described as a "major" fraud ring selling fraudulent set-top cable boxes.

Committee members heard that the man, who currently works at a restaurant in nearby Thornbury, was convicted in 2016 and completed his sentence in February 2018. The licensing authority's current policy is that seven years must pass after the end of a sentence before an application can be considered.

Councillors said in their decisions statement: “The policy starting point is that a period of 7 years should elapse from expiry of the sentence, which will run from 25 February 2018.

“JR (the unnamed applicant) was convicted of an offence involving dishonesty on the criminal standard of proof and was sentenced to a significant period of imprisonment, which reflects that the Court considered the offending conduct to be at the more serious end of the scale.

“The Committee decided to refuse the application on the ground contained in section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 in that it cannot be satisfied that JR is a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver’s licence or that this case should be treated as an exception to policy without undermining it.”