Posted on the 17th August 2026 in PHTM News

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL REVOKES LICENCES OF 22 TAXI PH DRIVERS OVER SAFETY CONCERNS

Buckinghamshire Council stripped 22 taxi and private hire drivers of their licences over a six-month period due to serious public safety concerns, representing an increase from 18 during the same timeframe the previous year.

The revocations, which took place between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, followed cases involving serious motoring offences, disqualifications, illegally plying for hire, insurance breaches, poor driving, dishonesty, safeguarding issues, and medical problems.

Revocation is the most severe enforcement action available to the local authority and is used when allowing a licence to remain in force could compromise public safety.

Simon Gallacher, the council's principal licensing officer, explained that officers evaluate all relevant information rather than relying solely on criminal convictions.

He told councillors: "The legal test for officers making those decisions is whether, on the balance of probability, they can be satisfied that a driver remains fit to hold a licence. If the answer to that question is no, we’re obliged to take action in respect of the licence."

The 22 affected individuals account for approximately 0.7 per cent of the authority's 3,427 licensed drivers.

Mr Gallacher noted: "Although every revocation is significant, to put it in context, the 22 revocations are well below one per cent of our licensed drivers. The vast majority of our drivers, we know, are hardworking and law-abiding and don’t raise concerns."

Alongside the driver revocations, the council refused 23 driver-licence applications and issued 122 penalty-point notices, 123 warning letters, and 67 driver suspensions.

Mr Gallacher stated that most suspensions stemmed from medical changes affecting required standards, emphasising that these protective measures "shouldn’t be interpreted as a finding of misconduct."

Additionally, 20 vehicle licences were revoked, largely because accident-damaged vehicles were not repaired or proven safe within two months, while seven vehicle licences were withdrawn because the drivers themselves had lost their licences after the council concluded they could no longer be considered fit and proper.


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