Councillors cancel taxi driver's licence and suspend another driver for five years

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Rights of Way committee on Thursday, November 23, the minutes of a Taxi Licensing sub-committee held last month were approved by councillors.

The document shows that the sub-committee, which is made up of three councillors - including Councillor Karl Lewis who chairs both the Planning meeting and the Taxi Licensing sub-committee – met on October 12 for the hearings which took place in confidential session.

The minutes show that the first licence-holder, known as JD/02/23, did not attend the licence review hearing which was held at the council’s County Hall in Llandrindod Wells.

The council’s licensing officer presented the case, with a Mr Bowen presenting Dyfed Powys Police's case on the suitability of JD/03/23’s to hold the licence.

After hearing the evidence, the committee which included Councillor Heulwen Hulme and Councillor Peter James withdrew to consider their verdict.

Upon their return, committee chairman, Councillor Karl Lewis said that the panel had decided to: “revoke the joint hackney carriage and private hire driver’s licence held by JD/02/23".

According to the minutes Councillor Lewis explained that the decision had been taken because: “The licence-holder is no longer a fit and proper person to hold a licence, in line with the council’s adopted suitability criteria.”

The panel then moved on to the second case which was an application for a taxi licence.

They were told that the applicant known as JD/05/23 had declared three driving offences on the application form.

Dyfed Powys Police licensing officer Mr Bowen presented a case on the applicant’s suitability “to continue” to hold a joint hackney carriage and private hire driver’s licence.

He explained that JD/05/23 had committed three speeding offences between February and September 2022 and had racked up nine penalty points on his driving licence.

JD/05/23 told the committee that “no one was in the car” when the speeding offences occurred.

The minutes show that he also explained what had happened and his personal circumstances at the time.

The triumvirate then withdrew to consider their judgement.

On their return Councillor Lewis announced that JD/05/23 would have his licence “suspended for five years".

The reason given by Councillor Lewis is that the licence-holder is: “no longer a fit and proper person to hold a licence, in line with the council’s adopted suitability criteria".