
A long-serving private hire driver has failed in his bid to regain his licence following an alleged sexual assault, despite assuring councillors that police dropped the case without charge.
The unnamed driver applied for a hackney carriage and private hire driver’s licence from Stockton Borough Council after his previous licence was revoked over the allegation, according to recently released licensing committee minutes.
The driver explained to the committee that he had picked up the accuser and another passenger on the night of the incident, later allowing the passenger to move into the front seat midway through the trip.
When questioned about the arrangement, he "agreed that with hindsight he shouldn’t have allowed it and would in future insist that all passengers remain seated in the back of the taxi."
Emphasising his record, the driver stated that he had worked for more than 20 years without issue prior to the incident, assuring members that "the allegation had been unfounded and the police had not proceeded with the case."
However, members of the licensing committee ultimately voted to reject the application after raising doubts over the driver's account of events.
"The committee felt they were not currently able to determine that [the driver] was a fit and proper person, as the committee was concerned about the inconsistencies between the information presented in the papers and what [he] had presented at the committee hearing," the panel ruled in their final decision.

Violent passenger, Alexander Hindmarsh, who threatened to stab a cabbie in the face and cut out his eyeballs during a terrifying knifepoint attack has been jailed for more than seven years. 

Taxi Law has published research showing that approximately £1.1bn a year could be raised by applying VAT uniformly to private hire fares across the UK.

Mo Ali, a local cabbie, revealed that the problem has escalated sharply in recent weeks, warning that passengers have been spotted carrying bags packed with counterfeit notes. 

Lindsay Scott appeared before Workington’s Magistrates’ Court, where she formally admitted three separate offences stemming from the events of 31 August. 

The victim was targeted while working on Anchor Road at around 4am on Saturday, 20 September, when a group of unknown individuals hurled racial slurs at him before launching a physical attack. 

Mr Nirupakaran previously faced committee scrutiny in May after receiving nine points on his DVLA licence for striking a pedestrian while driving at night in 2023.

The plans would increase fares by approximately 6% for taxis carrying up to four passengers and 8.6% for larger vehicles carrying five to eight passengers.

A Manchester-licensed Hackney Carriage driver has been fined and handed EIGHT penalty points after illegally accepting a fare outside his licensing area following a Manchester United match.

Working alongside licensing enforcement officers from Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Newport and Wolverhampton councils, officers uncovered a number of licensing and vehicle compliance issues.

The driver was caught by Liverpool City Council enforcement officers during an operation in March.

A Peterborough private hire operator is putting community spirit into action by supporting a lifesaving charity.

No further details have been disclosed about the nature of the allegations, the drivers’ identities or the police intelligence involved.

Applicants will no longer have to answer questions about the quickest or most efficient routes, with the council arguing that modern sat-nav technology makes this element of the test unnecessary.

Joshua Stack, 25, from Stafford, was over the drink-drive limit when his vehicle crossed into the opposite lane in January 2024, colliding with an oncoming Toyota Avensis taxi.

Directors Tom Shanks and Ben Bell say the acquisition is part of a strategy to expand into areas where the company believes its technology, operational resources and experience can strengthen existing local taxi business

The expansion, announced on 3 November, includes major cities such as New York, Paris and Singapore, with further destinations expected to be added.

A North Northants taxi trade rep is demanding answers after figures revealed that the number of licensed Hackney carriages has fallen by more than a fifth since 2022, while private hire vehicle numbers have increased by 

The deal further strengthens Express Cabs’ position as what the company describes as the largest independently owned taxi operator in Kent and the South East outside London.

The changes are aimed at larger operators, with the government proposing a threshold of £50 million in annual passenger fare turnover.

According to licensing committee minutes, CCTV showed the driver arriving at the scene, getting out of his vehicle and filming officers as they struggled to detain an intoxicated woman.
