
Taxi and private hire drivers in Rother face a stricter disciplinary regime after councillors moved to overhaul the authority’s penalty point scheme.
At a meeting on Monday, January 12, Rother District Council’s Licensing and General Purposes Committee threw its support behind proposals that introduce new triggers for disciplinary action.
Under the current system, any driver or operator who "accrues more than 11 points is referred to a council licensing panel," which holds the power to decide if further sanctions are necessary.
The updated scheme targets modern nuisances and accessibility issues. New rules would penalise drivers for:
Vaping and Parking: Both "vaping in vehicles" and "parking on pavements and/or disabled bays" would now result in three penalty points.
Assistance Needs: In a move to protect vulnerable passengers, drivers would be penalised for "deliberately driving away from a taxi rank while a passenger with assistance needs is approaching." This offence carries a heavier six-point penalty.
The committee opted to toughen the original proposals regarding road safety. While the initial draft suggested a nine-point penalty for drivers caught using a mobile phone, councillors voted to increase this to 12 points.
This change essentially creates an "automatic panel hearing" for any driver caught using a phone behind the wheel, bypassing the usual cumulative warning system.
The revised scheme will now move forward to a final stage. Following the committee’s endorsement, the "changes are due to be put to a full council vote" at the authority’s next major meeting on February 23.

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