Woking Council REJECTS taxi licence application from former driver with sexual offence convictions

A man previously convicted of sexual offences while working as a licensed taxi driver has had his application for a new Hackney Carriage licence refused by Woking Borough Council.

The decision was made at a Taxi Licensing Sub-Committee meeting held on 8 September 2025. The applicant attended the hearing accompanied by his son. The former driver had applied to return to work as a licensed driver despite having had his previous licence revoked by the council in 2010 due to two sexual offence convictions committed while operating as a taxi driver. He had also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Council officers reminded the Sub-Committee that the authority’s licensing policy states that anyone who has been on the Sex Offenders Register would not normally be granted a licence unless exceptional circumstances apply. No such circumstances were identified during the hearing.

The applicant’s son spoke on his behalf, claiming the applicant had changed since the offences, had held regular employment in recent years, and understood the seriousness of his actions. He submitted references and an employment history to support the application.

Committee members questioned the former driver about the offences, including whether the victims were intoxicated at the time. The applicant acknowledged his past wrongdoing but offered no additional justification for the council to consider departing from policy.

After hearing from both parties and adjourning for deliberation, the Sub-Committee concluded that the applicant had not demonstrated that he was a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence. Councillors were not persuaded that the applicant’s reformation or time since the offences justified a departure from existing policy. The application was therefore refused.

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The applicant has the right to appeal the decision to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days.